All language subtitles for Claydream.2021.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]
Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Cebuano
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Esperanto
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
French
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Scots Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhala
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Sundanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu
Odia (Oriya)
Kinyarwanda
Turkmen
Tatar
Uyghur
Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000
.
2
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
..
3
00:00:38,038 --> 00:00:41,842
*dreamy music
4
00:00:41,875 --> 00:00:44,345
-[man] Are you hungry, Al?
5
00:00:44,378 --> 00:00:47,047
-Well, yeah!
I could-- I could use a...
6
00:00:47,115 --> 00:00:50,851
ham sandwich, mmmm.
7
00:00:50,884 --> 00:00:51,619
-[snorts]
8
00:00:51,652 --> 00:00:54,388
[groans]
9
00:00:54,455 --> 00:00:56,490
-Where's that chicken?
What is going on?
10
00:00:56,524 --> 00:00:58,492
-[Will VO] Characters
have a simplicity to them and a
11
00:00:58,526 --> 00:00:59,827
complexity to them.
12
00:00:59,860 --> 00:01:02,463
-[grunts]
13
00:01:02,530 --> 00:01:03,797
[screams]
14
00:01:03,864 --> 00:01:05,433
[chicken screams]
15
00:01:05,466 --> 00:01:06,800
[knocking on door]
16
00:01:06,867 --> 00:01:08,136
-[woman] Who's here?
17
00:01:08,136 --> 00:01:09,270
-[woman] Here
comes the director!
18
00:01:09,303 --> 00:01:11,305
-[man] I can't hear anything!
19
00:01:11,372 --> 00:01:13,774
-[woman] Quiet on the set!
20
00:01:13,807 --> 00:01:15,909
-Hey, have you guys
finished that shot yet?
21
00:01:15,943 --> 00:01:17,711
-[Will VO] Interesting
characters often have a simple
22
00:01:17,745 --> 00:01:21,149
goal and a simple purpose,
23
00:01:21,215 --> 00:01:23,451
but it's in
great conflict with
24
00:01:23,484 --> 00:01:27,155
either the world around
him, with other people.
25
00:01:27,155 --> 00:01:31,492
One could say that the story
makes the character or the
26
00:01:31,559 --> 00:01:35,163
character makes the story.
27
00:01:35,163 --> 00:01:40,000
*driving ambient music
28
00:01:40,067 --> 00:01:41,502
-[woman] Please,
raise your right hand.
29
00:01:41,569 --> 00:01:42,936
Do you solemnly swear that
this testimony taken will be the
30
00:01:42,970 --> 00:01:44,472
truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth
31
00:01:44,505 --> 00:01:45,439
so help you God?
32
00:01:45,473 --> 00:01:47,675
-I do.
33
00:01:47,741 --> 00:01:48,909
-[man] Good morning, Mr. Vinton.
34
00:01:48,942 --> 00:01:50,444
-Good morning.
35
00:01:50,478 --> 00:01:54,315
-[man] Are you aware that
you have sued Mr. Knight for
36
00:01:54,348 --> 00:01:56,750
$3,000,000?
37
00:01:56,784 --> 00:01:59,453
-Yes.
There were extraordinarily
38
00:01:59,487 --> 00:02:02,590
strange happenings
39
00:02:02,656 --> 00:02:06,093
and amazing
manipulation
40
00:02:06,194 --> 00:02:09,897
led by -- without
question -- led by Phil Knight,
41
00:02:09,930 --> 00:02:13,667
who had other
motives for the company.
42
00:02:13,701 --> 00:02:16,103
-That reflects a
dispute, wouldn't you agree?
43
00:02:16,204 --> 00:02:18,038
***
44
00:02:18,071 --> 00:02:19,773
-Yeah.
45
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,777
-It still remains to me stunning
really that the founder of the
46
00:02:23,844 --> 00:02:28,716
company could basically ignore
the interests of shareholders
47
00:02:28,749 --> 00:02:31,952
other than Will Vinton or
myself -- the employees,
48
00:02:32,019 --> 00:02:35,223
the creditors -- ignore all
their interests and put this
49
00:02:35,223 --> 00:02:37,458
company on the
threshold of bankruptcy
50
00:02:37,525 --> 00:02:39,227
for no logical reason.
51
00:02:39,260 --> 00:02:41,028
-[Vinton] No,
that's not correct.
52
00:02:41,061 --> 00:02:45,466
It's definitely,
absolutely the other way around.
53
00:02:45,533 --> 00:02:50,538
*"I Heard It Through the
Grapevine" by Isaac Brock*
54
00:03:15,028 --> 00:03:19,567
***
55
00:03:51,865 --> 00:03:53,934
*ethereal music
56
00:03:54,001 --> 00:03:55,503
[tv clicks on]
57
00:03:55,536 --> 00:03:58,672
-Were you one of those kids that
always played with the home 8mm
58
00:03:58,706 --> 00:04:01,108
movie camera and was
making projects all the time?
59
00:04:01,141 --> 00:04:04,345
-Projects, yeah, a lot
of projects when I was a kid.
60
00:04:04,412 --> 00:04:06,580
***
61
00:04:06,614 --> 00:04:08,449
Grew up in
McMinnville, Oregon...
62
00:04:08,482 --> 00:04:11,819
classic Small Town, U.S.A.
63
00:04:11,852 --> 00:04:14,822
***
64
00:04:14,855 --> 00:04:16,857
I never really had much
interest in film production
65
00:04:16,924 --> 00:04:19,827
until I actually went to
college and became very,
66
00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:22,162
very interested in it.
67
00:04:22,195 --> 00:04:26,700
My sister, who was in Berkeley,
strongly encouraged me to be a
68
00:04:26,767 --> 00:04:30,504
part of this scene that
was Berkeley in the '60s.
69
00:04:32,139 --> 00:04:34,608
There was just so much going on.
70
00:04:34,642 --> 00:04:38,346
*psychedelic rock
71
00:04:44,552 --> 00:04:46,687
The whole Claymation
thing really evolved
72
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,523
out of studying architecture.
73
00:04:49,790 --> 00:04:53,727
I was very fascinated with
Antoni Gaudà who had done
74
00:04:53,794 --> 00:04:57,798
extraordinarily organic
shapes in architecture,
75
00:04:57,831 --> 00:05:00,734
things that had to be sculpted.
76
00:05:00,768 --> 00:05:04,204
And that got me messing
with plasticine clay,
77
00:05:04,237 --> 00:05:07,708
and the filmmaking and the
clay got together and-- for some
78
00:05:07,741 --> 00:05:10,110
early experiments.
79
00:05:10,143 --> 00:05:13,947
My father used to shoot
16mm film as home movie.
80
00:05:13,981 --> 00:05:16,984
I asked him if I
could use his camera,
81
00:05:17,050 --> 00:05:20,388
so I got this great little
filmmaker kit and kind of
82
00:05:20,421 --> 00:05:23,757
instantly became a filmmaker.
83
00:05:24,157 --> 00:05:26,259
My father was really
hoping I would be,
84
00:05:26,293 --> 00:05:28,796
you know, a corporate
executive or something,
85
00:05:28,829 --> 00:05:32,065
but he also really encouraged me
to explore and try things and,
86
00:05:32,099 --> 00:05:33,634
you know, give it a go.
87
00:05:33,667 --> 00:05:35,469
And if you believe in
something strong enough,
88
00:05:35,503 --> 00:05:37,971
you'll find a way
to make it happen.
89
00:05:38,906 --> 00:05:41,174
So first thing I started doing
is shooting a lot of stuff on
90
00:05:41,241 --> 00:05:42,610
the Berkeley campus.
91
00:05:42,643 --> 00:05:45,178
This is the '60s; things
were getting pretty wacky.
92
00:05:45,245 --> 00:05:49,417
*rock music
93
00:06:00,127 --> 00:06:03,431
I was really fascinated
by what cameras could do,
94
00:06:03,431 --> 00:06:06,033
and, in particular, stop motion.
95
00:06:06,066 --> 00:06:08,702
You know, setting a camera on a
tripod and shooting one frame at
96
00:06:08,736 --> 00:06:12,072
a time, making things move.
97
00:06:12,105 --> 00:06:14,942
And animating human bodies.
98
00:06:15,008 --> 00:06:16,744
You know, sort of looked
at this stuff and I said,
99
00:06:16,777 --> 00:06:19,680
"Whoa, that's pretty cool!"
100
00:06:19,713 --> 00:06:23,016
I learned really
quickly how you cut,
101
00:06:23,050 --> 00:06:26,754
how you focus an
audience's attention,
102
00:06:26,787 --> 00:06:30,624
the language of film
and the power of film.
103
00:06:30,691 --> 00:06:34,294
I wasn't a storyteller, but I
saw the power of storytelling.
104
00:06:38,899 --> 00:06:40,367
[clap]
105
00:06:40,468 --> 00:06:43,871
There was a very active
film community in Berkeley --
106
00:06:43,904 --> 00:06:45,873
filmmakers, people
that did various kinds
107
00:06:45,906 --> 00:06:47,575
of experimental films.
108
00:06:47,608 --> 00:06:50,043
*funky ambient music
109
00:06:50,077 --> 00:06:53,080
I organized evenings where I'd
stick an animation camera on the
110
00:06:53,113 --> 00:06:56,283
table, give everybody
a beer in one hand,
111
00:06:56,316 --> 00:06:58,619
blob of clay in the other,
you know, getting a little
112
00:06:58,652 --> 00:07:02,389
inebriated...
taking a puff, as well.
113
00:07:04,191 --> 00:07:05,893
And, of course, most
of this stuff became
114
00:07:05,959 --> 00:07:07,327
a little pornographic.
115
00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,530
[glug and swallow]
116
00:07:09,563 --> 00:07:10,964
[vomit]
117
00:07:10,998 --> 00:07:14,568
That was the beginning
of claymation for me.
118
00:07:14,635 --> 00:07:19,406
It was a real
epiphany to see these very,
119
00:07:19,507 --> 00:07:24,512
very crude things
happening on this tabletop,
120
00:07:25,679 --> 00:07:29,850
to see these characters evolve
in this incredibly simple and
121
00:07:29,883 --> 00:07:31,985
non-planned sort of way.
122
00:07:32,019 --> 00:07:34,354
[man laughs]
123
00:07:34,387 --> 00:07:37,891
[birds chirp]
124
00:07:37,925 --> 00:07:41,862
What I was most amazed
about was how this completely
125
00:07:41,895 --> 00:07:46,900
inanimate wad of clay could
move and be imbued with life.
126
00:07:47,367 --> 00:07:52,105
*upbeat piano music
127
00:07:54,908 --> 00:07:57,711
It's the fascination
one has with magic.
128
00:07:57,745 --> 00:08:01,782
*dreamy music
129
00:08:02,115 --> 00:08:06,554
When I first saw this stuff, it
really made an impression on me.
130
00:08:06,587 --> 00:08:09,757
And I felt -- even then -- that
if I could marry the magic that
131
00:08:09,790 --> 00:08:13,561
I saw with really
solid film skills,
132
00:08:13,594 --> 00:08:15,428
I could be really powerful.
133
00:08:15,462 --> 00:08:18,031
-[man VO]
Kneel down in the dust!
134
00:08:18,098 --> 00:08:23,103
Toiling over a lump of
clay 'til he shaped it!
135
00:08:25,305 --> 00:08:27,575
-[Will VO] In order to do
the kind of experimenting that I
136
00:08:27,608 --> 00:08:30,878
wanted to do, taking
it to the next level,
137
00:08:30,944 --> 00:08:34,447
I really kind of
needed a little studio.
138
00:08:34,481 --> 00:08:37,384
And actually managed to buy
a small house in Portland,
139
00:08:37,450 --> 00:08:41,021
and it ended up being my
future animation studio.
140
00:08:41,589 --> 00:08:45,192
Well, for several years while
making live-action and a few cel
141
00:08:45,225 --> 00:08:48,896
animated films, I was working on
a technique of clay animation.
142
00:08:48,962 --> 00:08:51,398
It was a technique that Bob
Gardiner-- a sculptor -- and I
143
00:08:51,464 --> 00:08:53,000
worked on during college.
144
00:08:53,033 --> 00:08:56,203
*mellow ambient music
145
00:08:56,236 --> 00:08:58,672
Bob was crazy,
wonderful artist
146
00:08:58,706 --> 00:09:01,274
-- really out
there -- and just
147
00:09:01,308 --> 00:09:05,613
a kind of a wild energy
that was intoxicating,
148
00:09:05,613 --> 00:09:09,449
and classic artist
with a capital A.
149
00:09:09,482 --> 00:09:12,452
I happened to know that he
would be -- and was -- not
150
00:09:12,485 --> 00:09:14,421
doing anything.
151
00:09:14,454 --> 00:09:18,325
"Say, why don't you come on
up, and let's make a film?"
152
00:09:19,126 --> 00:09:22,663
So Bob came up and lived at my
place and ended up living there
153
00:09:22,730 --> 00:09:25,633
for like a year
and a half, [laughs]
154
00:09:25,633 --> 00:09:28,769
much to my
wife's chagrin.
155
00:09:28,802 --> 00:09:32,472
Because Bob's lifestyle is
loose with various psychedelics,
156
00:09:32,505 --> 00:09:34,407
which I was dabbling
in at the time too,
157
00:09:34,441 --> 00:09:35,843
but not as intensely.
158
00:09:35,909 --> 00:09:37,510
[laughs]
159
00:09:37,645 --> 00:09:40,748
But I always liked working
with really good artists.
160
00:09:40,781 --> 00:09:45,085
Bob was absolutely
one of those people,
161
00:09:45,118 --> 00:09:49,923
in the sense that he was
intensely on another plane.
162
00:09:49,957 --> 00:09:52,926
-[Bill VO] Bob
was a really charming guy.
163
00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,663
He was a mad genius.
164
00:09:55,663 --> 00:09:57,665
Together they were
the perfect team.
165
00:09:57,698 --> 00:10:02,269
You had the wild, crazy artist
with the organized producer.
166
00:10:02,302 --> 00:10:06,273
***
167
00:10:06,306 --> 00:10:09,142
-[Will VO] We spent a
lot of time in that basement
168
00:10:09,176 --> 00:10:11,812
experimenting with clay...
169
00:10:11,845 --> 00:10:16,850
metamorphosis,
lip-sync, cutting techniques.
170
00:10:18,185 --> 00:10:19,787
Clay animation had
been around forever.
171
00:10:19,820 --> 00:10:21,288
People ask if we invented it.
172
00:10:21,321 --> 00:10:24,792
No, but what we did was brought
it to the forefront by doing a
173
00:10:24,825 --> 00:10:27,560
lot of experimenting.
174
00:10:27,627 --> 00:10:31,865
*contemplative music
175
00:10:31,899 --> 00:10:34,201
I decided to do a little short
short film that really showed
176
00:10:34,234 --> 00:10:36,970
off some of these techniques.
177
00:10:37,004 --> 00:10:38,672
[projector whirs]
178
00:10:38,706 --> 00:10:40,407
[door creaks]
179
00:10:40,473 --> 00:10:43,043
[man grunting]
180
00:10:43,076 --> 00:10:45,746
We had trouble keeping the
characters very stable and
181
00:10:45,813 --> 00:10:50,583
steady, and so we tended to make
the characters all be winos so
182
00:10:50,650 --> 00:10:52,385
they could stumble around.
183
00:10:52,419 --> 00:10:56,089
[man cackles]
184
00:10:57,157 --> 00:10:58,491
-Thank you for turning me on.
185
00:10:58,525 --> 00:11:01,895
I am a replica of the model
5-0-5 Type C electro-brain
186
00:11:01,929 --> 00:11:05,165
correct, error key
muta-- muta-- mutation,
187
00:11:05,232 --> 00:11:07,334
mutations,
metamorphological mutations,
188
00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,302
mutations of reversal,
comparing mutations,
189
00:11:09,336 --> 00:11:11,772
mutations, metamorphology,
push and program,
190
00:11:11,805 --> 00:11:15,108
push and as the-- as
the-- as the world turns...
191
00:11:15,142 --> 00:11:17,277
-[Will VO] We were real
excited about getting it done in
192
00:11:17,310 --> 00:11:21,414
time for this local film
festival here in Portland,
193
00:11:21,448 --> 00:11:23,951
and it was rejected.
194
00:11:23,984 --> 00:11:26,019
We were just devastated.
195
00:11:26,086 --> 00:11:29,589
It was a sad time,
but never stops me.
196
00:11:29,622 --> 00:11:33,493
So I made as many prints as I
could afford and started sending
197
00:11:33,526 --> 00:11:36,196
it around to film festivals.
198
00:11:36,263 --> 00:11:39,332
And suddenly we started
getting amazing response.
199
00:11:39,366 --> 00:11:42,770
Top prize at major,
big-time festivals,
200
00:11:42,770 --> 00:11:45,638
and it got nominated
for an Academy Award.
201
00:11:45,672 --> 00:11:49,209
-The winner is 'Closed Mondays,'
Will Vinton and Bob Gardiner.
202
00:11:49,276 --> 00:11:54,147
[applause]
203
00:11:54,181 --> 00:11:57,117
*upbeat orchestral music
204
00:11:57,150 --> 00:11:59,319
-I'd like to thank
family and friends,
205
00:11:59,352 --> 00:12:01,421
and uh, Will.
206
00:12:01,454 --> 00:12:02,689
Thank you very much.
207
00:12:02,790 --> 00:12:07,460
-Thanks members of the
Academy for an incredible honor.
208
00:12:07,527 --> 00:12:11,131
And hello and thank you to all
our friends back home in Oregon.
209
00:12:11,198 --> 00:12:13,867
[applause]
210
00:12:13,901 --> 00:12:16,136
-[Will VO] After the
win, we were partying at the
211
00:12:16,203 --> 00:12:17,805
Governor's Ball.
212
00:12:17,871 --> 00:12:22,542
Bob's mother came up to him
with quite a serious face,
213
00:12:22,575 --> 00:12:26,046
and she said this
was too much too soon,
214
00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:29,382
and this is the kiss of death.
215
00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:33,086
It made me really concerned
about what ultimately happens
216
00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,823
with Bob.
217
00:12:36,089 --> 00:12:38,591
Winning an Oscar was huge.
218
00:12:38,625 --> 00:12:39,960
Seemed to me kind
of an opportunity
219
00:12:39,993 --> 00:12:42,830
to explore things further.
220
00:12:42,830 --> 00:12:46,266
I was just itching
to do more projects.
221
00:12:46,299 --> 00:12:49,903
But for Bob, winning the Academy
Award was such a heady thing.
222
00:12:49,937 --> 00:12:51,839
[pop, horn blows]
223
00:12:51,905 --> 00:12:56,910
He was off doing all
sorts of crazy things.
224
00:12:56,977 --> 00:13:01,481
Bob would walk around town
with his Oscar in his pocket and
225
00:13:01,514 --> 00:13:04,885
stick it up on a bar and
see who'd buy him drinks.
226
00:13:04,918 --> 00:13:09,522
That was the way he saw what he
was gonna do with this Oscar.
227
00:13:10,190 --> 00:13:13,693
It got to be so hard that
I couldn't count on him.
228
00:13:14,061 --> 00:13:17,230
It was just such a
clash of working styles.
229
00:13:17,264 --> 00:13:20,067
We felt it was good to do our
own things and then help each
230
00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:22,402
other out.
231
00:13:23,003 --> 00:13:25,672
-[Bill VO] Bob set up
his own little studio and he got
232
00:13:25,705 --> 00:13:28,942
a commission from
Rolling Stone to do a TV show.
233
00:13:29,009 --> 00:13:32,445
*rock music
234
00:13:32,712 --> 00:13:35,215
I got to visit his studio
and see what he was doing,
235
00:13:35,248 --> 00:13:36,917
and I was really impressed.
236
00:13:36,950 --> 00:13:41,421
So he did get work
after he left Vinton,
237
00:13:41,454 --> 00:13:44,091
but he wasn't a good businessman
and he couldn't follow through
238
00:13:44,124 --> 00:13:45,592
on it.
239
00:13:45,625 --> 00:13:49,963
I think he was bipolar, so
unfortunately he descended into
240
00:13:50,030 --> 00:13:55,035
this drunken stupor, and he
would rail at Vinton and claim
241
00:13:55,702 --> 00:14:00,707
that he was really the artistic
genius behind 'Closed Mondays,'
242
00:14:01,008 --> 00:14:05,678
that he developed the Claymation
technique and that Vinton never
243
00:14:05,712 --> 00:14:08,181
gave him credit.
244
00:14:08,215 --> 00:14:12,385
Will and him separated, but Will
filled the vacuum left by Bob
245
00:14:12,452 --> 00:14:16,223
with really great animators.
246
00:14:16,723 --> 00:14:18,825
-[Will VO] Everything
I did after that was Will
247
00:14:18,926 --> 00:14:22,062
Vinton Productions.
248
00:14:22,129 --> 00:14:23,196
-[man] Will Vinton
interview, take one.
249
00:14:23,230 --> 00:14:24,131
[clap]
250
00:14:24,164 --> 00:14:25,132
Second camera.
251
00:14:25,165 --> 00:14:26,166
[clap]
252
00:14:26,199 --> 00:14:27,367
And the third camera.
253
00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:28,301
[clap]
254
00:14:28,335 --> 00:14:29,937
*groovy ambient music
255
00:14:29,937 --> 00:14:32,940
-That was the
beginning of this wonderful,
256
00:14:32,940 --> 00:14:36,944
delightful
collaborative kind of phase
257
00:14:36,944 --> 00:14:39,212
where the goal was to try
to find some way we could
258
00:14:39,246 --> 00:14:43,316
push the Claymation
into some new areas.
259
00:14:43,350 --> 00:14:44,985
-[Bill VO] He had
this little studio that was
260
00:14:45,018 --> 00:14:47,254
behind a barbershop.
261
00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,958
Walk past the barbershop and up
these steps and into this secret
262
00:14:50,991 --> 00:14:53,961
domain, and suddenly
there's an animation studio.
263
00:14:55,762 --> 00:14:58,498
And so it was like going
into a James Bond movie.
264
00:14:58,531 --> 00:15:01,268
[high-pitched swirling noises]
265
00:15:01,301 --> 00:15:02,735
It was like magic.
266
00:15:02,769 --> 00:15:04,972
You would not believe
what it felt like to walk
267
00:15:05,005 --> 00:15:06,339
through that place.
268
00:15:06,406 --> 00:15:07,975
[bike bell rings]
269
00:15:08,008 --> 00:15:11,011
-[Melissa VO] The
studio was like the mother-ship.
270
00:15:11,078 --> 00:15:13,446
I remember clearly
one day thinking,
271
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,984
"We're all gonna end up being
old together and having an old
272
00:15:17,017 --> 00:15:19,486
persons' home-- retirement home.
273
00:15:19,519 --> 00:15:21,254
We're all gonna
be living together."
274
00:15:21,288 --> 00:15:23,023
Because it all felt very close.
275
00:15:23,090 --> 00:15:24,691
***
276
00:15:24,757 --> 00:15:26,793
-When you walk
away, you track it out.
277
00:15:26,826 --> 00:15:28,295
-[Chuck VO] It
was very hippie-like.
278
00:15:28,328 --> 00:15:29,429
-Can you smell that?
279
00:15:29,462 --> 00:15:30,697
-[Chuck VO] A sort of commune.
280
00:15:30,763 --> 00:15:32,199
-Huh?
281
00:15:32,265 --> 00:15:34,134
You got some of it, don't you?
282
00:15:34,167 --> 00:15:36,003
-[Chuck VO] I
have my actual contract.
283
00:15:36,036 --> 00:15:38,371
It doesn't even have
my real name on it.
284
00:15:38,438 --> 00:15:39,639
It was for fun.
285
00:15:39,672 --> 00:15:41,641
There was nothing
legal about it.
286
00:15:41,674 --> 00:15:43,010
It was just like, "Hey
you wanna work here?
287
00:15:43,010 --> 00:15:44,011
Okay, well what's your name?
288
00:15:44,011 --> 00:15:46,346
I'll just make one up."
289
00:15:46,379 --> 00:15:49,316
The word
"corporate" didn't exist.
290
00:15:49,616 --> 00:15:52,185
It just didn't
feel like a business.
291
00:15:52,352 --> 00:15:55,288
It felt like art
school plus vacation.
292
00:15:55,322 --> 00:15:57,290
***
293
00:15:57,324 --> 00:15:59,792
-[Will VO] We weren't a
very sophisticated business.
294
00:15:59,826 --> 00:16:03,196
We were a collective of
artists focused on doing
295
00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:06,366
good creative work.
296
00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:11,138
-[Michele VO] The energy was
so melodic and forward-moving.
297
00:16:11,204 --> 00:16:14,207
I felt like I was working
with a master who was creating
298
00:16:14,241 --> 00:16:17,610
something really wonderful
that was gonna endure for a
299
00:16:17,644 --> 00:16:20,447
very long time.
300
00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,483
-On those cues, we're
gonna turn on the lights.
301
00:16:23,550 --> 00:16:28,555
*delicate ambient music
302
00:16:28,788 --> 00:16:31,224
-Maybe have some
[clapping] ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
303
00:16:31,258 --> 00:16:36,263
*jaunty driving music
304
00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:40,300
[hammering]
305
00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:42,902
-[man VO] Will Vinton's
characters seem almost human,
306
00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:45,105
partly because they are.
307
00:16:45,138 --> 00:16:47,807
-[woman VO] In fact, the
entire production is shot and
308
00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,845
soundtracks recorded with live
actors before animating begins.
309
00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,082
-You keep looking out
the window because--
310
00:16:55,082 --> 00:16:58,685
-I thought that
I-- that you were--
311
00:16:58,751 --> 00:17:02,722
[laughter]
312
00:17:04,591 --> 00:17:06,726
-[Will VO] That whole
first decade was all about
313
00:17:06,759 --> 00:17:10,763
trying to see what we could
do, see how far we could go.
314
00:17:10,830 --> 00:17:15,835
*psychedelic rock music
315
00:17:17,770 --> 00:17:19,206
What's gonna be
different about it?
316
00:17:19,239 --> 00:17:21,841
What are we gonna learn from
this one that we didn't learn
317
00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:24,711
from previous ones, and what
can we take forward into the
318
00:17:24,744 --> 00:17:26,246
next project?
319
00:17:26,279 --> 00:17:29,682
*epic rock music
320
00:17:42,195 --> 00:17:46,799
I hardly even remember
thinking about making money.
321
00:17:46,866 --> 00:17:50,437
The thinking was always about
what we could do to make the
322
00:17:50,470 --> 00:17:53,473
projects as cool as
they could possibly be.
323
00:17:53,540 --> 00:17:54,941
[water bubbles]
324
00:17:54,974 --> 00:17:57,377
We did so many things as
creatively as we did by virtue
325
00:17:57,410 --> 00:17:58,811
of the fact that we
were doing them very,
326
00:17:58,878 --> 00:18:01,981
very inexpensively.
327
00:18:02,449 --> 00:18:04,784
[dinosaur growl]
328
00:18:04,817 --> 00:18:06,819
[slurps]
329
00:18:08,155 --> 00:18:11,358
Lower the budget is, we could
get creative control and do
330
00:18:11,391 --> 00:18:13,726
wonderful things.
331
00:18:13,793 --> 00:18:15,495
-Then they go to the bar and
drink on furlough and they fight
332
00:18:15,528 --> 00:18:16,729
the air force,
they fight the navy--
333
00:18:16,796 --> 00:18:19,065
[shouting and commotion]
334
00:18:19,166 --> 00:18:20,367
Of course,
there's no coast guard.
335
00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,235
Oh, and then, of course, you
know, back home there was the
336
00:18:22,302 --> 00:18:24,471
Andrews sisters singing
"Bugle Boy" of Company C.
337
00:18:24,504 --> 00:18:28,241
*female chorus singing
338
00:18:28,308 --> 00:18:30,477
-[Will VO] We knew we
were pioneering something.
339
00:18:30,510 --> 00:18:34,414
We were doing something that had
never really been done before,
340
00:18:34,481 --> 00:18:39,352
during which we picked up four
more Academy Award nominations.
341
00:18:39,386 --> 00:18:41,854
Nobody ever told
me I couldn't do it.
342
00:18:41,888 --> 00:18:44,891
All I've seen in my experience
-- in my life -- has been that
343
00:18:44,924 --> 00:18:47,394
if you put your mind to it,
and believe that you can do it
344
00:18:47,427 --> 00:18:49,596
-- and want to do
it -- you'll do it.
345
00:18:49,662 --> 00:18:54,667
*uplifting orchestral music
346
00:19:01,941 --> 00:19:03,443
-[man] Let her go!
347
00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:05,212
-[girl] You can make it, fly!
348
00:19:05,212 --> 00:19:09,316
***
349
00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:10,983
[bells chime]
350
00:19:11,017 --> 00:19:12,285
-[Will VO] We
all charged ahead,
351
00:19:12,285 --> 00:19:14,754
expanding it and trying to grow
it and move it in whatever ways
352
00:19:14,787 --> 00:19:16,623
we possibly could.
353
00:19:16,656 --> 00:19:20,227
[rattles]
354
00:19:20,260 --> 00:19:22,229
[glistens]
355
00:19:22,229 --> 00:19:24,231
[slides click]
356
00:19:24,264 --> 00:19:26,799
-Will loved the fact that he
didn't have to be in Los Angeles
357
00:19:26,833 --> 00:19:29,669
to do this kind of
work and to get noticed.
358
00:19:29,702 --> 00:19:32,038
-[man VO] Has there ever been a
temptation for you to move from
359
00:19:32,104 --> 00:19:35,107
Portland to Hollywood where
all the big film business is?
360
00:19:35,141 --> 00:19:40,146
-Well, in all honesty there's
some small amount of temptation.
361
00:19:40,247 --> 00:19:41,348
-[Craig VO]
Here you are in Portland,
362
00:19:41,381 --> 00:19:43,816
which is hardly a film center.
363
00:19:43,850 --> 00:19:45,952
Lifestyle mattered
more than money, and
364
00:19:45,985 --> 00:19:48,455
what people did on the
weekends mattered more than
365
00:19:48,488 --> 00:19:49,656
their jobs.
366
00:19:49,689 --> 00:19:51,891
-What I can surmise from
what you're positing is like,
367
00:19:51,958 --> 00:19:54,060
Portland's almost an
alternative universe.
368
00:19:54,126 --> 00:19:55,528
It's almost like
cars don't exist, right?
369
00:19:55,562 --> 00:19:56,496
-Yes!
370
00:19:56,529 --> 00:19:57,464
-You can ride bikes,
or double decker bikes.
371
00:19:57,497 --> 00:19:59,466
They ride unicycles,
they ride the tram,
372
00:19:59,499 --> 00:20:00,467
they ride skateboards.
373
00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:01,701
-Exactly!
374
00:20:01,734 --> 00:20:04,304
-'Portlandia' is almost like
a documentary as far as I'm
375
00:20:04,337 --> 00:20:08,975
concerned in terms of
showing how eccentric and unique
376
00:20:09,008 --> 00:20:12,479
Portland is, and how much
everything's kind of a one-off.
377
00:20:12,512 --> 00:20:15,081
Will's Claymation
studio's like that too.
378
00:20:15,147 --> 00:20:18,217
Nobody else is doing
anything like this.
379
00:20:18,251 --> 00:20:21,321
He wanted to do his own
thing, he created it,
380
00:20:21,354 --> 00:20:23,856
and he gave us all these jobs.
381
00:20:23,890 --> 00:20:27,226
The best stop-motion animators
from around the world all
382
00:20:27,260 --> 00:20:30,830
gravitated to the
famous Will Vinton Studio.
383
00:20:30,863 --> 00:20:32,699
-[Will VO] I'm really
committed to working here,
384
00:20:32,732 --> 00:20:35,835
and there's really no reason
that you have to produce a film
385
00:20:35,868 --> 00:20:39,105
in Hollywood.
386
00:20:39,406 --> 00:20:41,541
*mellow ambient music*
387
00:20:41,574 --> 00:20:44,877
-Will the entrepreneur -- Will
the guy who started something
388
00:20:44,911 --> 00:20:48,781
from nothing and did it just
because he wanted to -- if
389
00:20:48,848 --> 00:20:51,884
you're gonna be an entrepreneur,
you're gonna start a company,
390
00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:53,853
you're gonna be the man.
391
00:20:53,886 --> 00:20:56,022
-The first time I
really met Will,
392
00:20:56,055 --> 00:20:59,626
the two words that came
to mind were "white heat,"
393
00:20:59,692 --> 00:21:02,495
a burning ambition
to make a brand,
394
00:21:02,529 --> 00:21:03,996
to make a name.
395
00:21:04,030 --> 00:21:08,935
He just wanted to conquer.
396
00:21:08,968 --> 00:21:11,804
-[Jeffrey VO] A good
decade before Will got started,
397
00:21:11,838 --> 00:21:15,975
there was another eclectic
long-shot small business here
398
00:21:16,008 --> 00:21:17,644
in Oregon.
399
00:21:17,677 --> 00:21:21,180
It was a guy selling
shoes, and it was Phil Knight,
400
00:21:21,213 --> 00:21:22,849
and that company became Nike.
401
00:21:22,882 --> 00:21:24,116
-Oh sweat!
Oh sweat!
402
00:21:24,150 --> 00:21:25,485
Oh sweat, it's Nike!
403
00:21:25,518 --> 00:21:26,853
You gotta hook me up!
404
00:21:26,886 --> 00:21:28,555
*hip hop beat
405
00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:30,790
-[Jeffrey VO] It
absolutely came to dominate.
406
00:21:30,823 --> 00:21:34,494
***
407
00:21:36,363 --> 00:21:39,466
It became this
world-eating company.
408
00:21:40,367 --> 00:21:44,371
And there's an interesting
parallel between Phil and Will;
409
00:21:44,404 --> 00:21:47,474
they pioneered an
industry and they stuck with it,
410
00:21:47,507 --> 00:21:51,077
and against all odds they
built something pretty special.
411
00:21:51,143 --> 00:21:56,148
And then they sort of came
together and disasters result.
412
00:21:56,683 --> 00:21:58,385
-[woman] Mr. Knight,
please raise your right hand.
413
00:21:58,385 --> 00:22:00,420
Do you solemnly swear that this
testimony will be the truth,
414
00:22:00,487 --> 00:22:01,421
the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth,
415
00:22:01,454 --> 00:22:02,455
so help you God?
416
00:22:02,489 --> 00:22:03,890
-I do.
-[woman] Thank you.
417
00:22:03,923 --> 00:22:06,626
-Mr. Knight, would you explain
what first interested you in
418
00:22:06,659 --> 00:22:09,429
investing in Will
Vinton Studios?
419
00:22:09,462 --> 00:22:12,565
-Wil Vinton had approached me
in the spring of '98 about the
420
00:22:12,599 --> 00:22:14,967
possibility of investing
in Will Vinton Studios,
421
00:22:15,001 --> 00:22:17,136
and I was intrigued.
422
00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:18,838
-And what intrigued you?
423
00:22:18,905 --> 00:22:20,907
-Well, first of all, profitable.
424
00:22:20,940 --> 00:22:22,842
They had been in
existence a long time,
425
00:22:22,909 --> 00:22:24,677
they had won an
Academy Award, and
426
00:22:24,744 --> 00:22:28,280
they'd had considerable artistic
success in the creative field,
427
00:22:28,314 --> 00:22:30,817
and I was interested in that.
428
00:22:30,850 --> 00:22:35,488
-Was there any intent to do
future Will Vinton Studios
429
00:22:35,522 --> 00:22:38,925
animation outside of Portland?
430
00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:43,963
-What do future plans outside
of Portland have to do with any
431
00:22:44,030 --> 00:22:46,098
subject matter of this lawsuit?
432
00:22:46,132 --> 00:22:49,135
-Well I have a theory, but
I don't need to go into it.
433
00:22:49,168 --> 00:22:51,270
*tense ambient music
434
00:22:57,977 --> 00:22:59,946
-Um, how would
you characterize
435
00:22:59,979 --> 00:23:03,049
your level of frustration
436
00:23:03,082 --> 00:23:04,751
over Will Vinton?
437
00:23:04,784 --> 00:23:06,719
***
438
00:23:06,753 --> 00:23:10,557
-High.
439
00:23:10,590 --> 00:23:13,460
*news program jingle
440
00:23:13,460 --> 00:23:15,795
-[man VO] Portlanders Will
Vinton and Susan Shadburne have
441
00:23:15,862 --> 00:23:19,031
made animated films Walt
Disney would've envied.
442
00:23:19,065 --> 00:23:21,968
-Your working relationship,
you're married but you also
443
00:23:22,034 --> 00:23:23,235
work together.
444
00:23:23,269 --> 00:23:25,472
I would think that it would
be hard to separate the two.
445
00:23:25,472 --> 00:23:26,473
-[Vinton] It is.
446
00:23:26,539 --> 00:23:28,074
-And we really live
two separate lives.
447
00:23:28,107 --> 00:23:30,910
When we were working really
intensely on something -- I
448
00:23:30,943 --> 00:23:33,145
should point out the 'Rip Van
Winkle' script got started on
449
00:23:33,212 --> 00:23:34,313
our honeymoon--
450
00:23:34,380 --> 00:23:36,248
[laughter]
451
00:23:36,282 --> 00:23:38,618
He kept telling me that
was a deadline [laughing]
452
00:23:38,651 --> 00:23:40,487
and things like that. [laughs]
453
00:23:40,553 --> 00:23:43,556
*mellow ambient music
454
00:23:43,590 --> 00:23:46,559
-Will's extraordinarily focused
-- one of the most focused
455
00:23:46,593 --> 00:23:48,795
people I've ever met --
456
00:23:50,497 --> 00:23:53,065
but if his focus shifts,
457
00:23:53,099 --> 00:23:56,636
he really is able to kind of cut
the traces of what came before,
458
00:23:56,669 --> 00:23:58,304
totally cut them.
459
00:23:58,337 --> 00:24:00,640
***
460
00:24:00,673 --> 00:24:02,509
-[Will VO] When things
get kind of easy or a little
461
00:24:02,509 --> 00:24:07,213
rote, I find myself going
kind of somewhere else.
462
00:24:09,582 --> 00:24:11,150
-[Susan VO] I mean,
all the times I knew him,
463
00:24:11,183 --> 00:24:14,353
I don't remember us ever having
to wrestle with his conscience.
464
00:24:14,386 --> 00:24:16,088
It is, "This is
what's being done.
465
00:24:16,155 --> 00:24:17,824
This is what I'm doing."
466
00:24:17,857 --> 00:24:20,326
I didn't ever see
him waver on that.
467
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:22,995
***
468
00:24:23,029 --> 00:24:25,998
The ending of it came as a
complete surprise to me.
469
00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:30,269
He had a wife prior to me.
470
00:24:30,336 --> 00:24:33,105
He left her in
exactly the same way.
471
00:24:33,740 --> 00:24:35,908
12 years...
472
00:24:37,209 --> 00:24:40,279
no discussions about it,
473
00:24:41,581 --> 00:24:43,883
no looking back.
474
00:24:44,917 --> 00:24:48,287
He was a mystery to himself.
475
00:24:48,354 --> 00:24:50,289
-[Michele VO]
He's a very complex man.
476
00:24:50,356 --> 00:24:53,926
The place he felt most free to
express himself was in his work.
477
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,929
***
478
00:24:56,963 --> 00:24:58,765
-[Mary VO] Will on one
hand showed himself to
479
00:24:58,798 --> 00:25:01,568
the world through his art.
480
00:25:02,569 --> 00:25:06,272
He had all of these characters
who, of course, were expressing
481
00:25:06,305 --> 00:25:08,440
facets of himself.
482
00:25:08,474 --> 00:25:12,712
And yet he was also
a very private man.
483
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,816
There's a lot of people, maybe
most of the people who know Will
484
00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:20,152
who might say, "I never
really quite knew him.
485
00:25:20,186 --> 00:25:24,390
I could never
quite figure him out."
486
00:25:24,456 --> 00:25:28,027
He had trouble
expressing emotions
487
00:25:28,060 --> 00:25:29,729
when it wasn't with clay.
488
00:25:29,796 --> 00:25:32,799
***
489
00:25:32,832 --> 00:25:36,836
-I see Will as a character,
a character with a dream,
490
00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:41,874
with a character flaw, and
with a kind of a sadness.
491
00:25:46,679 --> 00:25:48,648
-[Will VO] Characters
have an infinite range of
492
00:25:48,681 --> 00:25:52,518
emotions and expressions, but
there aren't an infinite number
493
00:25:52,619 --> 00:25:55,655
that they use.
494
00:25:55,922 --> 00:26:00,026
A character usually
stays in character.
495
00:26:01,994 --> 00:26:03,229
*chimes ascend
496
00:26:03,262 --> 00:26:04,664
-[woman] All together now!
497
00:26:04,731 --> 00:26:07,133
-Ho ho ho, hee
hee hee, ha ha ha!
498
00:26:07,166 --> 00:26:10,102
-[Will VO] The pressure on
this first creative phase is
499
00:26:10,136 --> 00:26:14,173
that we wanted to keep
the bar extremely high,
500
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,109
and we wanted to
do feature films.
501
00:26:17,143 --> 00:26:20,479
-As things began to get bigger
and bigger and pretty soon he's
502
00:26:20,512 --> 00:26:22,682
having what he wants -- which
he always told me was to be the
503
00:26:22,749 --> 00:26:25,985
second Walt Disney -- and
it looked as if maybe that
504
00:26:26,018 --> 00:26:27,453
were happening.
505
00:26:27,486 --> 00:26:32,491
*uplifting ambient music
506
00:26:32,925 --> 00:26:34,994
-[Jerry VO] There were
definitely parallels between the
507
00:26:35,027 --> 00:26:38,364
young Will Vinton Studios
and Walt Disney Studios.
508
00:26:38,665 --> 00:26:42,268
Each success followed by a
way to follow up on that in a
509
00:26:42,301 --> 00:26:45,504
commercial way, and
then if you can do that,
510
00:26:45,537 --> 00:26:48,474
you can experiment and
make 'Fantasia' or build
511
00:26:48,507 --> 00:26:49,776
a Disneyland.
512
00:26:49,809 --> 00:26:53,479
Will had it.
He was actually doing it.
513
00:26:53,512 --> 00:26:54,480
He won his Oscar.
514
00:26:54,513 --> 00:26:55,882
He was making shorts.
515
00:26:55,948 --> 00:26:58,284
He was making a feature,
which was 'The Adventures of
516
00:26:58,317 --> 00:27:00,219
Mark Twain.'
517
00:27:00,286 --> 00:27:04,390
-A man with a
new idea is a fool...
518
00:27:04,423 --> 00:27:07,393
until the idea succeeds.
519
00:27:07,426 --> 00:27:10,062
-[Will VO] 'The Adventures of
Mark Twain' was the zenith of
520
00:27:10,096 --> 00:27:12,699
Claymation because
the whole kitchen sink
521
00:27:12,699 --> 00:27:15,267
was thrown in there.
522
00:27:15,301 --> 00:27:18,570
A lot of the techniques that you
saw in some of the short films
523
00:27:18,604 --> 00:27:20,572
that came before it.
524
00:27:20,606 --> 00:27:23,442
-[Craig VO] Clay
painting from 'The Creation...'
525
00:27:25,077 --> 00:27:28,414
metamorphosis from
'The Great Cognito...'
526
00:27:30,316 --> 00:27:33,953
special effects that we used in
things like 'The Little Prince.'
527
00:27:34,821 --> 00:27:36,055
There's nothing like it.
528
00:27:36,088 --> 00:27:38,590
There's nothing
even remotely like it.
529
00:27:38,825 --> 00:27:42,061
Will wanted this to feel like
you were in his clay world.
530
00:27:43,095 --> 00:27:45,965
Furniture was made out of
clay, the walls were clay,
531
00:27:45,998 --> 00:27:48,735
the pictures on
the wall were clay.
532
00:27:48,735 --> 00:27:51,403
-It is a landmark achievement
in the motion picture field,
533
00:27:51,437 --> 00:27:54,506
and that is because it is the
first clay-animated feature
534
00:27:54,573 --> 00:27:57,143
movie ever made.
535
00:27:57,744 --> 00:27:59,611
-[Melissa VO] A lot
was riding on 'The Adventures
536
00:27:59,645 --> 00:28:02,014
of Mark Twain.'
537
00:28:02,048 --> 00:28:06,352
It was in production over five
years with a small crew toiling
538
00:28:06,385 --> 00:28:09,889
over this very tedious
process of making this movie.
539
00:28:10,222 --> 00:28:12,224
-The basic
philosophy has not changed.
540
00:28:12,258 --> 00:28:14,426
Vinton and his staff hope
to continue to be a form of
541
00:28:14,493 --> 00:28:16,996
entertainment
primarily for adults.
542
00:28:17,029 --> 00:28:19,832
You'll never see Will Vinton's
name on the kind of things that
543
00:28:19,866 --> 00:28:23,335
you're seeing now on
Saturday morning TV.
544
00:28:25,571 --> 00:28:28,007
-[Melissa VO] Will felt
that this is a sophisticated
545
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,677
film that should
appeal to adults.
546
00:28:31,778 --> 00:28:35,614
And it just didn't get
marketed in that way.
547
00:28:35,681 --> 00:28:37,683
-The interesting
thing is the movie,
548
00:28:37,784 --> 00:28:40,920
it's kind of a dark story, and
there were warning labels on
549
00:28:40,953 --> 00:28:43,689
those cassettes that say, "This
may not be suitable for your
550
00:28:43,790 --> 00:28:46,558
child," which was the kiss
of death if you're trying to
551
00:28:46,592 --> 00:28:48,194
release a children's movie.
552
00:28:48,227 --> 00:28:51,397
*melancholy ambient music
553
00:28:51,430 --> 00:28:54,967
-[Melissa VO] 'Mark Twain' had
a really disappointing premiere.
554
00:28:56,869 --> 00:28:58,871
People would
take their children,
555
00:28:58,905 --> 00:29:01,941
or they didn't always
get the next level of
556
00:29:01,974 --> 00:29:05,812
humor or sophistication.
557
00:29:05,812 --> 00:29:08,380
-[voice on speaker] Welcome
to the mysterious stranger.
558
00:29:08,447 --> 00:29:11,683
[children whispering]
559
00:29:11,717 --> 00:29:13,152
-Hello.
560
00:29:13,185 --> 00:29:14,653
-Who are you?
561
00:29:14,686 --> 00:29:15,888
-Satan.
562
00:29:15,955 --> 00:29:18,124
-Uh oh.
563
00:29:18,157 --> 00:29:19,826
-[Will VO] Well, there's
no question I was hoping
564
00:29:19,826 --> 00:29:22,862
'Mark Twain' would be
the beginning of doing more
565
00:29:22,895 --> 00:29:24,831
feature projects.
566
00:29:24,864 --> 00:29:27,699
***
567
00:29:27,733 --> 00:29:31,737
I think above all I was
disappointed with what happens
568
00:29:31,838 --> 00:29:36,008
in the world of distribution.
569
00:29:36,042 --> 00:29:39,846
-That was a real sad thing that
nobody seemed to know what to do
570
00:29:39,846 --> 00:29:42,915
with this magical stuff.
571
00:29:42,982 --> 00:29:47,019
He had a capacity to put things
in a place where they wouldn't
572
00:29:47,053 --> 00:29:51,991
interfere or slow him down, but
in his private place with just
573
00:29:52,024 --> 00:29:55,895
himself, he and him,
it hurt him very much.
574
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,669
-I did a bit of soul searching
and thought about how the
575
00:30:03,702 --> 00:30:08,574
creative process works, and I've
come up with what I think is my
576
00:30:08,607 --> 00:30:11,377
most creative project to date,
which I would like to introduce
577
00:30:11,410 --> 00:30:14,213
to you at this time.
578
00:30:14,546 --> 00:30:17,283
[applause]
579
00:30:17,349 --> 00:30:19,618
This is Billy.
580
00:30:19,685 --> 00:30:21,520
Say hello!
[chuckles]
581
00:30:21,553 --> 00:30:24,123
Let's look at the creative
process and how it works.
582
00:30:24,190 --> 00:30:26,926
[audience laughter]
583
00:30:26,959 --> 00:30:28,861
It all starts with an idea.
584
00:30:28,895 --> 00:30:31,630
Perhaps nothing more
than a twinkle in your eye.
585
00:30:31,697 --> 00:30:34,200
And in time, with a
little give and take,
586
00:30:34,233 --> 00:30:38,237
assuming the idea
finds fertile ground,
587
00:30:38,270 --> 00:30:41,807
it may soon be fully conceived.
588
00:30:41,874 --> 00:30:43,409
But you still don't
know what you've got.
589
00:30:43,442 --> 00:30:45,377
[audience laughter]
590
00:30:45,411 --> 00:30:47,446
As the concept goes
into a gestation period,
591
00:30:47,479 --> 00:30:49,481
it grows and it modifies.
592
00:30:49,548 --> 00:30:52,384
Finally, the project is
fully realized with a tremendous
593
00:30:52,418 --> 00:30:53,819
amount of effort.
594
00:30:53,886 --> 00:30:54,954
And is released-- [Billy coos]
595
00:30:54,987 --> 00:30:56,488
Yeah.
[audience laughter]
596
00:30:56,555 --> 00:30:58,790
And is
released for all to see.
597
00:30:58,824 --> 00:31:00,792
To the creators it's
hard to be objective,
598
00:31:00,826 --> 00:31:04,196
and it often looks pretty
bad when it first comes out.
599
00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:07,666
But at that point, one can't
help but sort of feel like
600
00:31:07,699 --> 00:31:11,938
you're-- question what it is
you've really done as a creator,
601
00:31:11,938 --> 00:31:16,175
and before long a strong sense
of pride generally results to
602
00:31:16,208 --> 00:31:19,245
the point where you may
even consider doing it again.
603
00:31:19,311 --> 00:31:22,581
[laughter]
604
00:31:22,648 --> 00:31:23,950
We have Mummy.
605
00:31:23,950 --> 00:31:26,418
-[laughs]
606
00:31:26,485 --> 00:31:29,221
-[Will] And Billy.
607
00:31:29,588 --> 00:31:31,190
-Let me stand up and
show how pregnant.
608
00:31:31,223 --> 00:31:32,258
-[Will] Very pregnant.
609
00:31:32,324 --> 00:31:34,360
There it is.
610
00:31:34,393 --> 00:31:35,561
That's Jesse.
611
00:31:35,594 --> 00:31:37,029
-Yeah, this is Jesse.
612
00:31:37,063 --> 00:31:40,232
Oh my God, there they go!
613
00:31:40,266 --> 00:31:41,433
-[Jesse VO] He was
always interested in looking
614
00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:44,003
for projects that
we could do with him.
615
00:31:44,036 --> 00:31:45,871
Even though he wasn't the kind
of person that would really say
616
00:31:45,972 --> 00:31:48,707
a lot of "I love yous"
617
00:31:48,740 --> 00:31:51,410
or really kind of
show affection...
618
00:31:51,443 --> 00:31:53,545
[drumming]
619
00:31:53,579 --> 00:31:56,082
You know, he had his own way
of constantly showing us that he
620
00:31:56,115 --> 00:31:57,549
loved us.
621
00:31:57,583 --> 00:32:00,386
*mellow ambient music
622
00:32:00,419 --> 00:32:02,821
The best times that we
had with one another,
623
00:32:02,854 --> 00:32:05,992
we were actively trying
to accomplish a goal,
624
00:32:05,992 --> 00:32:08,995
making something,
creating something.
625
00:32:10,596 --> 00:32:12,531
Going to cut down
a Christmas tree,
626
00:32:12,598 --> 00:32:15,334
we would literally hack
down like a 20-foot tree,
627
00:32:15,367 --> 00:32:18,137
and we'd bring it home.
628
00:32:19,371 --> 00:32:22,308
Billy and I were six and eight
years old and we were like up on
629
00:32:22,341 --> 00:32:25,544
the balcony with like a
rope-pulley system that my dad
630
00:32:25,611 --> 00:32:28,014
had like showed us how to
like rig on the top of the tree,
631
00:32:28,014 --> 00:32:30,882
and he's down below trying
to like push the tree up.
632
00:32:32,018 --> 00:32:33,285
-[woman] There's Will.
633
00:32:33,319 --> 00:32:35,554
-[man] There's Will.
634
00:32:35,621 --> 00:32:37,023
-[woman] The man
with the camera,
635
00:32:37,023 --> 00:32:40,359
and now we're moving in on him,
because-- Billy don't pull on
636
00:32:40,392 --> 00:32:42,394
the camera!
637
00:32:42,461 --> 00:32:44,330
-[woman] Get a close-up of him
so that we know that Daddy was
638
00:32:44,363 --> 00:32:45,864
here too.
639
00:32:45,897 --> 00:32:47,199
-[Jesse VO] Things
were really taking off for the
640
00:32:47,233 --> 00:32:50,169
studio, and it
was growing rapidly.
641
00:32:50,202 --> 00:32:53,239
He spent an enormous
amount of time at the studio,
642
00:32:53,305 --> 00:32:56,675
and maybe prioritized
that over family a little bit.
643
00:32:56,708 --> 00:32:59,045
I think that's
what he had to do.
644
00:32:59,045 --> 00:33:02,414
***
645
00:33:02,748 --> 00:33:05,151
-Oh, look at the...
646
00:33:05,217 --> 00:33:06,618
-[Melissa VO]
After 'Mark Twain' had a really
647
00:33:06,652 --> 00:33:09,221
disappointing premiere,
we were all depressed.
648
00:33:09,255 --> 00:33:10,922
Will came back,
and was like, "Well,
649
00:33:10,956 --> 00:33:14,593
let's get to
work," like undaunted.
650
00:33:15,294 --> 00:33:16,562
[claps]
651
00:33:16,595 --> 00:33:20,166
-"Okay, let's get rolling," and
he would say that without fail.
652
00:33:20,232 --> 00:33:22,301
And so that's just the kind
of guy he was -- it was like,
653
00:33:22,334 --> 00:33:25,571
[clap] "Okay,
let's get rolling."
654
00:33:25,604 --> 00:33:28,640
-[Hal VO] I've never seen
him exhibit frustration or anger
655
00:33:28,674 --> 00:33:31,577
or being down.
656
00:33:31,610 --> 00:33:36,248
So it is hard to sort of see him
as a fully rounded human being,
657
00:33:36,282 --> 00:33:39,151
because he's always
got that outward-facing,
658
00:33:39,185 --> 00:33:41,320
optimistic demeanor.
659
00:33:41,353 --> 00:33:44,090
You wonder, "What
are the secret doubts?"
660
00:33:44,123 --> 00:33:48,660
*anxious ambient music
661
00:33:48,694 --> 00:33:51,997
-[Will VO] My parents
were always just so supportive
662
00:33:52,098 --> 00:33:55,167
of trying things,
of experimenting.
663
00:33:55,201 --> 00:33:58,137
What they would say,
"Yeah okay, what's next?"
664
00:33:58,837 --> 00:34:01,273
And I'm like that
myself, like, "That was cool.
665
00:34:01,307 --> 00:34:03,542
That was really fun.
Okay, let's see what's next."
666
00:34:03,575 --> 00:34:06,545
[laughs]
Kind of look around.
667
00:34:06,578 --> 00:34:10,216
The California Raisin Advisory
Board came to us with the idea
668
00:34:10,249 --> 00:34:14,186
of personifying
raisins that moved to
669
00:34:14,220 --> 00:34:16,688
"I Heard It
Through the Grapevine."
670
00:34:16,722 --> 00:34:21,127
*Ooh, I heard it
through the grapevine*
671
00:34:21,127 --> 00:34:25,631
*Raised in the
California sunshine*
672
00:34:25,697 --> 00:34:28,700
-I was the director on the
first California Raisins spot,
673
00:34:28,734 --> 00:34:32,138
and I thought, "Man,
what a dorky commercial.
674
00:34:32,138 --> 00:34:34,140
Nobody's ever gonna
see this commercial.
675
00:34:34,140 --> 00:34:36,442
I'm wasting my time."
676
00:34:36,475 --> 00:34:39,711
-[Will VO] A tiny, tiny
little advertising campaign
677
00:34:39,745 --> 00:34:41,980
just took off.
678
00:34:42,047 --> 00:34:45,451
It went viral in an era
where "viral" didn't exist yet.
679
00:34:46,585 --> 00:34:49,155
-It seems almost everyone is
wild about these raisins and
680
00:34:49,155 --> 00:34:51,157
their hip sales pitch.
681
00:34:51,223 --> 00:34:54,160
-[Will VO] The fact that
it's taken the nation by storm
682
00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:56,162
is kind of quite a surprise.
683
00:34:56,228 --> 00:34:58,597
-[man VO] Raisins are more
popular with youngsters than old
684
00:34:58,630 --> 00:35:00,466
favorites like Charlie Brown.
685
00:35:00,499 --> 00:35:03,001
A true advertising phenomenon.
686
00:35:03,034 --> 00:35:05,637
*groovy music
687
00:35:05,671 --> 00:35:07,506
-[man VO] America
has gone raisin crazy.
688
00:35:07,539 --> 00:35:09,641
We have raisin
t-shirts, raisin sweatshirts,
689
00:35:09,675 --> 00:35:13,179
raisin coffee mugs.
690
00:35:13,179 --> 00:35:16,182
-[Will VO] Claymation
was on people's tongues
691
00:35:16,182 --> 00:35:19,251
in a way that it
never had been before.
692
00:35:19,518 --> 00:35:21,520
I can't tell you how
many times people said,
693
00:35:21,553 --> 00:35:24,690
"Wow, what's it like to
be an overnight success?"
694
00:35:24,723 --> 00:35:25,524
-[woman VO] Well,
we've all heard of
695
00:35:25,557 --> 00:35:27,493
the overnight sensation--
696
00:35:27,526 --> 00:35:29,828
-And I'm going, "Yeah,
after 15 years of doing this."
697
00:35:29,861 --> 00:35:30,862
You know?
698
00:35:30,896 --> 00:35:33,031
-Will Vinton is an
Academy Award winner,
699
00:35:33,064 --> 00:35:35,601
but hardly anybody knew
his name until he made a
700
00:35:35,667 --> 00:35:37,569
television commercial.
701
00:35:37,603 --> 00:35:40,372
-[Will VO] To me,
commercials were little films,
702
00:35:40,406 --> 00:35:45,411
using characters to
really connect with audiences.
703
00:35:45,544 --> 00:35:48,447
-We have a hit now, and it's
opening up all these new doors
704
00:35:48,514 --> 00:35:51,783
for us, and we're a busy studio.
705
00:35:51,850 --> 00:35:53,552
[squeaky laughter]
706
00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:56,422
-[man VO] Meet the Noid...
707
00:35:56,455 --> 00:35:59,891
the star of Domino's
Pizza commercials.
708
00:35:59,925 --> 00:36:03,995
-The Noid happened the same time
the California Raisins happened
709
00:36:04,029 --> 00:36:05,631
and just blew up.
710
00:36:05,664 --> 00:36:07,333
They were huge.
711
00:36:07,366 --> 00:36:10,336
But we won an award for
being the stupidest ad campaign.
712
00:36:10,369 --> 00:36:12,037
I don't get it.
He hates pizza?
713
00:36:12,103 --> 00:36:14,873
He loves pizza?
He wrecks pizza?
714
00:36:14,940 --> 00:36:16,642
So why should I get Domino's?
715
00:36:16,675 --> 00:36:18,377
[zapping]
716
00:36:18,444 --> 00:36:22,113
[grunting]
717
00:36:22,147 --> 00:36:23,715
-[man] Does it sell pizzas?
-Oh, absolutely.
718
00:36:23,782 --> 00:36:24,950
Like crazy.
719
00:36:24,983 --> 00:36:27,353
-[Melissa VO] People
became aware of this process of
720
00:36:27,386 --> 00:36:30,021
Claymation, and they
wanted to be part of it.
721
00:36:30,055 --> 00:36:33,525
-[man VO] Nike
makes aerobic shoes...
722
00:36:33,559 --> 00:36:35,461
tennis shoes...
723
00:36:35,494 --> 00:36:37,796
-[Will VO] There
was a lot of capital.
724
00:36:37,829 --> 00:36:39,865
One of the accountants said,
"What are you guys doing over
725
00:36:39,898 --> 00:36:42,501
there?
You printing money?"
726
00:36:42,534 --> 00:36:47,506
He was so surprised at
the level of profitability.
727
00:36:47,539 --> 00:36:51,510
My father finally [laughing]
stopped wondering when I was
728
00:36:51,543 --> 00:36:53,712
gonna get a real job. [laughs]
729
00:36:53,745 --> 00:36:56,282
And he said that to me.
730
00:36:56,315 --> 00:36:59,651
-I'd like to thank
our family and friends...
731
00:36:59,685 --> 00:37:01,853
and Will.
732
00:37:01,887 --> 00:37:05,724
-Bob Gardiner saw that Will
moving forward with their idea
733
00:37:05,757 --> 00:37:08,794
and creating a company
that didn't include him,
734
00:37:08,827 --> 00:37:13,064
he felt that he had been
slighted or robbed of something.
735
00:37:13,098 --> 00:37:15,501
-[Susan VO] Everybody
knew Bob was kind of crazy.
736
00:37:15,567 --> 00:37:19,671
Crazy Bob, funny crazy Bob, who
wasn't so funny after a while.
737
00:37:19,738 --> 00:37:21,907
-[David VO] His activity
would flare up whenever the
738
00:37:21,940 --> 00:37:24,075
studio was
getting a lot of press.
739
00:37:24,109 --> 00:37:26,011
It seemed to agitate him.
740
00:37:26,077 --> 00:37:27,746
-"Claymation" -- you
coined the phrase?
741
00:37:27,779 --> 00:37:29,748
-Yeah, right.
-[Barbara] It's just clay--
742
00:37:29,781 --> 00:37:32,117
-It comes from "clay animation."
743
00:37:32,150 --> 00:37:33,419
-[David VO] You'd
come to work in the morning,
744
00:37:33,452 --> 00:37:37,489
and there'd be graffiti on the
wall outside that was clearly a
745
00:37:37,523 --> 00:37:39,458
message from Bob.
746
00:37:39,491 --> 00:37:41,527
-[Susan VO]
He wrote "Swill Vinton,
747
00:37:41,593 --> 00:37:44,996
Mediocre Crap" like in
five-foot high letters.
748
00:37:46,865 --> 00:37:48,434
-[David VO] He would
call Vinton up in the middle of
749
00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:52,338
the night, yell at
him, and threaten him.
750
00:37:53,705 --> 00:37:56,342
-Hello?
751
00:37:56,475 --> 00:37:58,143
-[Melissa VO]
There would be death threats--
752
00:37:58,176 --> 00:37:59,645
-Yes, uh huh.
753
00:37:59,678 --> 00:38:03,582
-[Melissal VO] And the studio
had to take those seriously.
754
00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:04,850
Will carried a gun.
755
00:38:04,883 --> 00:38:07,719
-Okay, yeah.
756
00:38:08,954 --> 00:38:12,791
-My name is Nicolle
Gardiner-Sampson,
757
00:38:12,858 --> 00:38:16,528
and Bob Gardiner was my father.
758
00:38:16,562 --> 00:38:19,731
I probably won't ever
meet anybody like my dad.
759
00:38:21,467 --> 00:38:24,536
If you approached him, he would
often have a story to tell,
760
00:38:24,570 --> 00:38:27,038
or he'd play the piano for you.
761
00:38:27,072 --> 00:38:30,376
He would draw with you
and doodle with you.
762
00:38:30,942 --> 00:38:32,811
Nothing was ever typical.
763
00:38:32,878 --> 00:38:34,780
It was magical.
764
00:38:34,813 --> 00:38:38,550
I knew that Bob and
Will had a falling out since
765
00:38:38,584 --> 00:38:40,419
I was a little girl.
766
00:38:40,452 --> 00:38:44,155
I think it was always a
ghost that haunted him,
767
00:38:44,222 --> 00:38:47,393
and he struggled letting go.
768
00:38:47,393 --> 00:38:52,063
*moody music
769
00:38:52,097 --> 00:38:56,502
-By the way, is Mr. Gardiner
the one who is the true creator
770
00:38:56,568 --> 00:38:59,070
of Claymation?
771
00:39:00,138 --> 00:39:02,408
-Um, why would you ask that?
772
00:39:02,474 --> 00:39:04,710
-I don't want to
hear, "Why would I?"
773
00:39:04,743 --> 00:39:08,914
because your complaint alleges
that you are widely recognized
774
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:12,684
as a creative genius and
the developer of Claymation.
775
00:39:12,684 --> 00:39:14,720
Answer the question.
776
00:39:14,753 --> 00:39:16,888
-Mr. Gardiner, absolutely not.
777
00:39:16,922 --> 00:39:19,491
-[man] Did you develop it
jointly with Mr. Gardiner?
778
00:39:19,525 --> 00:39:20,992
-Absolutely not.
779
00:39:21,026 --> 00:39:25,564
Claymation was developed,
five or-- several years after I
780
00:39:25,597 --> 00:39:30,602
worked with Bob
Gardiner-- coined.
781
00:39:31,202 --> 00:39:32,571
-See, that wasn't hard.
782
00:39:32,604 --> 00:39:35,741
***
783
00:39:39,611 --> 00:39:42,848
-[David VO] Bob was
an incredibly creative artist,
784
00:39:42,881 --> 00:39:46,251
somewhat mad,
somewhat delusional.
785
00:39:46,284 --> 00:39:49,555
He was good with inspired ideas,
but he couldn't execute on them.
786
00:39:50,355 --> 00:39:52,724
So you gotta give Will credit
that probably 'Closed Mondays'
787
00:39:52,758 --> 00:39:54,059
got executed at all.
788
00:39:54,092 --> 00:39:56,194
If it was up to Bob, that
film probably would never
789
00:39:56,227 --> 00:39:57,963
have been made.
790
00:39:58,029 --> 00:40:00,298
As much art as he put into it,
he needed someone to guide him
791
00:40:00,365 --> 00:40:05,103
through actually
finishing something.
792
00:40:05,136 --> 00:40:08,907
-Will produced it -- that's what
he did -- and a lot of the stuff
793
00:40:08,940 --> 00:40:10,809
you see there is Bob.
794
00:40:10,876 --> 00:40:12,310
The stuff that
people go, "Ooo-ooo!"
795
00:40:12,377 --> 00:40:14,145
-- that's Bob.
796
00:40:14,212 --> 00:40:16,782
*jaunty music
797
00:40:16,815 --> 00:40:20,719
-What was that guy thinking of?
798
00:40:20,752 --> 00:40:23,288
Puh.
799
00:40:24,723 --> 00:40:27,225
-With most things in life,
there was a grain of truth to
800
00:40:27,258 --> 00:40:29,160
some of it.
801
00:40:29,227 --> 00:40:31,563
Was this just a really angry
guy who was making up all these
802
00:40:31,597 --> 00:40:34,733
ideas about what had
happened in that relationship,
803
00:40:34,766 --> 00:40:38,604
or was he really an aggrieved
creative who felt he didn't get
804
00:40:38,637 --> 00:40:42,440
his due?
805
00:40:47,946 --> 00:40:49,581
*news jingle
806
00:40:49,615 --> 00:40:50,982
-Portland's own
California Raisins are
807
00:40:51,016 --> 00:40:52,484
back in the news again.
808
00:40:52,518 --> 00:40:55,120
They have a new home video out,
and to give you an idea of how
809
00:40:55,153 --> 00:40:57,322
good it's selling, it reached
platinum even before it hit
810
00:40:57,355 --> 00:40:58,757
the stores.
811
00:40:58,790 --> 00:41:01,960
-One of the first productions we
did as an entertainment project
812
00:41:01,993 --> 00:41:05,864
was a CBS primetime special
called 'Meet the Raisins!' and
813
00:41:05,897 --> 00:41:10,235
it was done rockumentary
parody of 'Meet the Beatles.'
814
00:41:11,236 --> 00:41:16,007
-The California Raisins, these
four working class musicians
815
00:41:16,041 --> 00:41:19,945
have risen from garden
variety band to pop phenomenon.
816
00:41:20,546 --> 00:41:24,049
But what are the
roots of such genius?
817
00:41:24,082 --> 00:41:26,685
From whence doth it spring?
818
00:41:26,718 --> 00:41:29,955
-[Will VO] First time I'd gotten
into primetime television.
819
00:41:30,288 --> 00:41:32,791
-It's a movie camera!
820
00:41:32,858 --> 00:41:35,026
So do something.
821
00:41:35,060 --> 00:41:36,094
[clonk]
822
00:41:36,127 --> 00:41:37,763
[growls]
823
00:41:37,796 --> 00:41:39,765
-[man VO] We bear fortunate
witness to the youngsters'
824
00:41:39,798 --> 00:41:43,902
discovery of tonal
resonance and harmony.
825
00:41:43,935 --> 00:41:48,106
-So far we had had anonymous
raisins in all of these spots,
826
00:41:48,139 --> 00:41:50,576
and we wanted to kind of
create distinctive characters
827
00:41:50,576 --> 00:41:54,079
for entertainment purposes, so
we created the California Raisin
828
00:41:54,112 --> 00:41:55,213
Band with--
829
00:41:55,246 --> 00:41:57,616
-[man VO] A.C.,
Beebop, Stretch, and Red.
830
00:41:57,649 --> 00:42:00,051
-That four, you know?
831
00:42:00,085 --> 00:42:04,189
-*Like a fool I went
and stayed too long*
832
00:42:04,222 --> 00:42:06,892
*Now I'm wonderin' if
your love's still strong*
833
00:42:06,958 --> 00:42:09,961
-*Ooh, baby, here I am
834
00:42:09,995 --> 00:42:13,231
*Signed, sealed,
delivered, I'm yours*
835
00:42:13,298 --> 00:42:15,300
[cheering]
836
00:42:15,333 --> 00:42:17,703
-[Will VO] The
show won a Primetime Emmy,
837
00:42:17,736 --> 00:42:20,405
and that was a really, really
successful project in terms of
838
00:42:20,471 --> 00:42:23,174
popularity, and in terms of
moving the Raisins to a new
839
00:42:23,208 --> 00:42:26,845
level, which was just
pure music entertainment.
840
00:42:26,878 --> 00:42:28,479
[gunfire]
841
00:42:28,513 --> 00:42:30,215
-Upcoming projects
include a number of television
842
00:42:30,248 --> 00:42:34,152
commercials, a music video --
that for reasons of secrecy we
843
00:42:34,185 --> 00:42:37,723
can only say is
for a major pop star.
844
00:42:37,756 --> 00:42:39,190
[beep]
845
00:42:39,224 --> 00:42:40,425
-[Michael Jackson on answering
machine] Will, I really need you
846
00:42:40,491 --> 00:42:42,761
to call me.
This is very important.
847
00:42:42,828 --> 00:42:44,429
Thank you, bye.
848
00:42:44,495 --> 00:42:45,631
[beep]
849
00:42:45,664 --> 00:42:47,065
This is Michael calling again.
850
00:42:47,098 --> 00:42:49,034
Please don't think
I'm being a nuisance.
851
00:42:49,067 --> 00:42:51,737
Let's do something
here, be pioneers.
852
00:42:51,770 --> 00:42:54,005
So thank you, bye.
853
00:42:54,039 --> 00:42:54,740
[hangs up]
854
00:42:54,773 --> 00:42:56,007
[beep]
855
00:42:56,041 --> 00:42:57,743
-[Scott on answering machine]
Will, this is Scott Norton from
856
00:42:57,776 --> 00:43:00,111
work, and um,
Michael Jackson just called.
857
00:43:00,178 --> 00:43:01,446
[beep]
858
00:43:01,512 --> 00:43:02,748
-[Michael on answering machine]
Will, it's Michael calling.
859
00:43:02,781 --> 00:43:05,283
Are you there?
860
00:43:06,451 --> 00:43:08,453
Will?
861
00:43:08,987 --> 00:43:10,188
[hangs up]
862
00:43:10,255 --> 00:43:11,657
-[Webster VO]
Michael was a big fan.
863
00:43:11,657 --> 00:43:14,926
He saw Will as a Disney
figure, and he was a big fan
864
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:16,361
of the work.
865
00:43:16,427 --> 00:43:17,996
-[Will VO] He got around
to saying how much he loved the
866
00:43:18,029 --> 00:43:20,932
California Raisin commercials,
so I realized where he was
867
00:43:20,966 --> 00:43:25,003
going, and I said, "Michael,
you should be a Raisin."
868
00:43:25,036 --> 00:43:29,174
-The rap raisins
materializing behind me.
869
00:43:29,675 --> 00:43:33,679
I wanted to define the character
and find his expression,
870
00:43:33,679 --> 00:43:38,049
which is 99 percent of it.
871
00:43:39,117 --> 00:43:42,153
The one guy has the glasses,
and he has the type of attitude
872
00:43:42,187 --> 00:43:46,892
that-- he's so cool that
I'm fortunate that he's here.
873
00:43:47,893 --> 00:43:50,696
And he's much too
cool for, like, one of these.
874
00:43:54,700 --> 00:43:55,834
It's like, "What
you lookin' at?"
875
00:43:55,867 --> 00:43:58,036
The other raisin
would be this style,
876
00:43:58,069 --> 00:44:02,207
no glasses, so his eyes--
it's mostly the expression.
877
00:44:11,049 --> 00:44:15,286
*"I Heard It Through the
Grapevine" by Michael Jackson*
878
00:44:24,162 --> 00:44:26,832
*I heard it
through the grapevine*
879
00:44:27,332 --> 00:44:30,969
*Raised in the
Califonia sunshine*
880
00:44:32,170 --> 00:44:35,073
*Heard it
through the grapevine, baby*
881
00:44:35,106 --> 00:44:36,775
[fireworks explode]
882
00:44:36,808 --> 00:44:38,777
-[woman VO] There's no way
these princes of produce are
883
00:44:38,810 --> 00:44:40,011
going to rot.
884
00:44:40,078 --> 00:44:42,981
They are one of the hottest
headliner acts in the country.
885
00:44:43,014 --> 00:44:45,083
You may be wondering
who has the rights to
886
00:44:45,116 --> 00:44:47,252
all that Raisin paraphernalia.
887
00:44:47,285 --> 00:44:50,021
Well, it's the California
Raisins Advisory Board,
888
00:44:50,088 --> 00:44:52,323
not Will Vinton.
889
00:44:52,357 --> 00:44:54,926
-This is the famous
blunder that he regretted,
890
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,596
where he didn't get a
portion of the licensing,
891
00:44:58,629 --> 00:45:01,967
which nobody thought
was gonna be a big deal, really.
892
00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:03,168
-Oh, my God.
893
00:45:03,201 --> 00:45:04,402
Oh, my God.
894
00:45:04,469 --> 00:45:08,940
We're talking about $400,000,000
in products that we could've had
895
00:45:09,007 --> 00:45:10,776
a piece of.
896
00:45:10,776 --> 00:45:14,579
-Oooh, this is a
harbinger of things to come.
897
00:45:14,612 --> 00:45:16,347
I can feel it.
898
00:45:16,381 --> 00:45:21,219
*wistful music
899
00:45:26,792 --> 00:45:30,028
-It was really hard after a
while to pull people's teeth
900
00:45:30,061 --> 00:45:33,865
[laughs] and to work on the
next Raisin show because we had
901
00:45:33,899 --> 00:45:37,435
already done that, and our
culture was built around,
902
00:45:37,468 --> 00:45:38,804
you know, "Do
something different."
903
00:45:38,804 --> 00:45:40,806
You know, "What else can we do?"
904
00:45:40,806 --> 00:45:42,640
***
905
00:45:42,707 --> 00:45:45,243
-The studio was trying very
hard to create some intellectual
906
00:45:45,276 --> 00:45:48,146
property of its own, and they
wanted to try and create their
907
00:45:48,213 --> 00:45:50,982
own characters that they would
own all the merchandising on,
908
00:45:51,049 --> 00:45:53,251
their own Mickey Mouse.
909
00:45:53,284 --> 00:45:55,420
-[Will VO] We
have a character I'm very,
910
00:45:55,453 --> 00:45:56,988
very fond of.
911
00:45:57,055 --> 00:46:00,992
He's just been signed to a very,
very big role in a major feature
912
00:46:01,059 --> 00:46:04,830
that we're developing right now,
and he and we are very excited
913
00:46:04,863 --> 00:46:05,831
about that.
914
00:46:05,864 --> 00:46:08,066
-I'm invincible!
915
00:46:08,133 --> 00:46:13,138
I feel like I could
climb every mountain!
916
00:46:15,673 --> 00:46:17,242
-[Chuck VO] The dream
behind Wilshire Pig was to be
917
00:46:17,308 --> 00:46:19,878
Will's Mickey Mouse.
918
00:46:19,911 --> 00:46:24,349
Instead of Mickey Mouse
ears we had rubber pig noses.
919
00:46:24,382 --> 00:46:26,017
-[Melissa VO] Will
would used to say that Wilshire
920
00:46:26,051 --> 00:46:28,519
Pig was his alter ego.
921
00:46:28,553 --> 00:46:32,090
-You get offered five million
bucks to do a commercial,
922
00:46:32,157 --> 00:46:33,724
and you turned it down?
923
00:46:33,758 --> 00:46:36,327
-There's the tycoon
element to that character.
924
00:46:36,361 --> 00:46:39,530
He sort of like the
greedy capitalist.
925
00:46:39,564 --> 00:46:42,100
That might be the way that he
thought of himself as Wilshire
926
00:46:42,167 --> 00:46:45,904
Pig, probably as not as the good
parts of himself but rather the
927
00:46:45,937 --> 00:46:49,440
kind of dirty things he had to
do to find success at the level
928
00:46:49,507 --> 00:46:50,741
that he found it.
929
00:46:50,775 --> 00:46:52,677
[explosion]
930
00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:56,114
-He was building this idea of,
"If I create these characters--
931
00:46:56,181 --> 00:46:58,583
[rumbling]
932
00:46:58,616 --> 00:47:00,185
[shouts]
933
00:47:00,218 --> 00:47:02,520
--then after that I can make
a bunch of films with those
934
00:47:02,553 --> 00:47:05,991
characters, and from that I
can make an amusement park."
935
00:47:06,024 --> 00:47:09,160
-The point of amusement
rides is not amusement.
936
00:47:09,194 --> 00:47:11,997
The point of amusement
rides is making money!
937
00:47:12,030 --> 00:47:14,966
[gears crank]
938
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,035
[coins jingle]
939
00:47:17,102 --> 00:47:19,037
Perfect!
940
00:47:19,104 --> 00:47:20,671
[explosion]
941
00:47:20,705 --> 00:47:23,274
-[Chuck VO] They were
always trying to get the thing
942
00:47:23,308 --> 00:47:26,444
that would make
the amusement park.
943
00:47:28,379 --> 00:47:31,816
It's like he was
looking down a checklist,
944
00:47:31,917 --> 00:47:35,120
and he was ticking off the
boxes of what he needed to
945
00:47:35,153 --> 00:47:38,023
become Disney.
946
00:47:41,659 --> 00:47:43,694
-[man's voice on TV] Will Vinton
-- the creator of Claymation --
947
00:47:43,728 --> 00:47:46,932
is now creating
Claymation Station,
948
00:47:46,965 --> 00:47:48,934
a year-round entertainment park.
949
00:47:48,967 --> 00:47:51,669
It would be on 15 to 20
acres behind Union Station,
950
00:47:51,702 --> 00:47:55,040
serving as a depot to
transport people to real places,
951
00:47:55,073 --> 00:47:58,643
to other worlds, and to the
far reaches of imagination.
952
00:47:58,843 --> 00:48:01,646
There would be rides and
shops, a 3-D movie theater,
953
00:48:01,679 --> 00:48:05,083
restaurants, a large hotel,
and motion picture studios.
954
00:48:05,984 --> 00:48:08,319
Can Will Vinton
make it a success?
955
00:48:08,386 --> 00:48:10,956
Well, he's already
made raisins dance,
956
00:48:10,989 --> 00:48:13,291
so who's to say his latest
brainstorm is pushing the
957
00:48:13,324 --> 00:48:14,960
imagination too far?
958
00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:16,427
[static]
959
00:48:16,461 --> 00:48:17,996
*moody ambient music
960
00:48:18,063 --> 00:48:19,497
-[Bill VO] Bob Gardiner
would call me in the middle of
961
00:48:19,564 --> 00:48:23,268
the night from some ghost town
where he was doing tours of the
962
00:48:23,301 --> 00:48:26,304
empty mining shafts.
963
00:48:26,337 --> 00:48:30,075
He'd still complain about
Will Vinton and how he got
964
00:48:30,108 --> 00:48:32,243
ripped off.
965
00:48:32,743 --> 00:48:34,579
-[Nicolle VO]
My dad kind of picked up this
966
00:48:34,612 --> 00:48:37,315
day-job lifestyle.
967
00:48:37,348 --> 00:48:41,186
It just kind of seemed
like him letting go.
968
00:48:42,020 --> 00:48:44,990
He let go of his creativity.
969
00:48:44,990 --> 00:48:48,126
He talked a lot about
Will, and that was it.
970
00:48:50,528 --> 00:48:53,098
-Good morning everybody,
and welcome to Portland,
971
00:48:53,131 --> 00:48:55,133
Oregon for the Grand
Floral Parade which is
972
00:48:55,166 --> 00:48:56,667
about to get underway.
973
00:48:56,701 --> 00:48:59,637
-[Bill VO] Bob Gardiner
threatened to assassinate Will
974
00:48:59,670 --> 00:49:01,772
Vinton at the Rose
Festival Parade.
975
00:49:01,806 --> 00:49:04,375
[gun clicks]
976
00:49:04,409 --> 00:49:07,112
*ominous strings
977
00:49:07,178 --> 00:49:09,680
Gardiner was gonna have a scope
rifle up on the top of the Meier
978
00:49:09,714 --> 00:49:12,517
& Frank Building and off him.
979
00:49:12,550 --> 00:49:14,285
-[man VO] And there he
is, you heard it through the
980
00:49:14,352 --> 00:49:15,686
grapevine, folks.
981
00:49:15,720 --> 00:49:19,290
That's Will Vinton, the
Grand Marshal of the parade.
982
00:49:21,192 --> 00:49:24,429
-[Bill VO] Will -- to
be safe -- got the FBI to patrol
983
00:49:24,462 --> 00:49:27,398
all the rooves of the buildings
along the parade route.
984
00:49:27,432 --> 00:49:30,201
***
985
00:49:30,235 --> 00:49:31,936
-[woman VO] You've
certainly seen his work with the
986
00:49:32,037 --> 00:49:34,605
California Raisins.
987
00:49:36,407 --> 00:49:40,078
Looks like he brought a few
of his friends with him today.
988
00:49:42,213 --> 00:49:44,649
-[Bill VO] For
something to do with cartoons,
989
00:49:44,715 --> 00:49:48,786
it just seems
really out of whack.
990
00:49:53,291 --> 00:49:57,062
-[Will VO] Bob and I did a
wonderful thing together.
991
00:49:57,762 --> 00:50:01,466
I wish that we could've both
cherished that into the sunset.
992
00:50:03,434 --> 00:50:06,404
It's hard for me to talk
about it because it was such
993
00:50:06,437 --> 00:50:08,839
a sad thing.
994
00:50:08,906 --> 00:50:11,842
I knew that he
was in a lot of pain.
995
00:50:11,909 --> 00:50:16,914
When I heard that he had,
uh, committed suicide, um...
996
00:50:18,249 --> 00:50:20,185
I was...
997
00:50:20,251 --> 00:50:22,987
I was...shocked.
998
00:50:23,020 --> 00:50:26,591
I guess I-- you
could say, but...
999
00:50:26,624 --> 00:50:30,695
somehow strangely
not completely surprised.
1000
00:50:32,130 --> 00:50:36,534
I wished so much at that time
that I really could've helped to
1001
00:50:36,601 --> 00:50:40,338
celebrate who he
was as a person,
1002
00:50:40,371 --> 00:50:43,174
as an artist...
1003
00:50:43,208 --> 00:50:47,945
and tell him how sorry
I felt about the whole thing.
1004
00:50:47,978 --> 00:50:51,516
***
1005
00:50:51,549 --> 00:50:56,554
-I went to help pack up his
stuff and being in his place --
1006
00:50:57,622 --> 00:51:02,627
boxing everything --
was really haunting,
1007
00:51:04,529 --> 00:51:06,931
looking at all the
stuff that he left out.
1008
00:51:06,964 --> 00:51:10,435
He had Marvin Gaye "Heard It
Through the Grapevine" sitting
1009
00:51:10,468 --> 00:51:14,405
open on his little piano.
1010
00:51:14,439 --> 00:51:17,142
That particular song
1011
00:51:17,142 --> 00:51:21,045
was this, like, goodbye to Will.
1012
00:51:23,714 --> 00:51:27,252
My dad's work will
always keep him alive.
1013
00:51:27,285 --> 00:51:30,455
I can always go back and
look through his writing.
1014
00:51:31,156 --> 00:51:32,390
I can look through his drawings.
1015
00:51:32,423 --> 00:51:35,426
I can watch 'Closed Mondays.'
1016
00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:40,565
The expressions through his
drawings or his animation,
1017
00:51:40,598 --> 00:51:45,303
you get to see him in that,
and so that's where the artist
1018
00:51:45,336 --> 00:51:48,273
is alive.
1019
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:57,014
[chimes]
1020
00:51:57,081 --> 00:52:00,851
-This is it...where
the rubber meets the road.
1021
00:52:00,918 --> 00:52:02,187
[mechanical whirring]
1022
00:52:02,187 --> 00:52:03,688
[rattling]
1023
00:52:03,721 --> 00:52:04,855
[snorts]
1024
00:52:04,889 --> 00:52:07,858
-[David VO] Wilshire Pig
and the licensable characters
1025
00:52:07,892 --> 00:52:10,495
weren't that
interesting to the animators.
1026
00:52:10,528 --> 00:52:11,429
-What's that?
1027
00:52:11,496 --> 00:52:12,530
[screams]
1028
00:52:12,563 --> 00:52:15,032
[pins clatter]
1029
00:52:15,500 --> 00:52:16,667
-[David VO]
More talking animals;
1030
00:52:16,701 --> 00:52:17,768
Warner Brothers and
Disney already covered
1031
00:52:17,835 --> 00:52:19,069
that pretty thoroughly.
1032
00:52:19,103 --> 00:52:22,373
Is there something
else we could do?
1033
00:52:22,673 --> 00:52:26,377
-[Webster VO] The
ideas just weren't progressing.
1034
00:52:27,212 --> 00:52:29,914
-Test results...inconclusive.
1035
00:52:29,947 --> 00:52:31,716
[snorts]
1036
00:52:31,749 --> 00:52:33,251
Aw, dang!
1037
00:52:33,284 --> 00:52:34,919
Why does it keep
happening to me?
1038
00:52:34,952 --> 00:52:37,588
This should've worked!
1039
00:52:37,622 --> 00:52:39,224
-[Webster VO] People
just stopped giving a shit
1040
00:52:39,257 --> 00:52:40,858
because they were just so
disenchanted with what was
1041
00:52:40,891 --> 00:52:42,927
going on.
1042
00:52:42,960 --> 00:52:45,930
Important people
started to leave the studio.
1043
00:52:46,697 --> 00:52:49,133
-It was reaching that point
where you finally realized how
1044
00:52:49,234 --> 00:52:53,604
much work you were doing, and
you weren't getting credit for
1045
00:52:53,638 --> 00:52:56,541
all the man hours
you were putting in.
1046
00:53:02,247 --> 00:53:05,015
-[Bill VO] He felt
it important --sometimes -- to
1047
00:53:05,049 --> 00:53:08,353
overlook some of the credit that
should perhaps have been given
1048
00:53:08,386 --> 00:53:12,657
to many of the talented
people actually making the work.
1049
00:53:14,124 --> 00:53:16,827
-He would actually say,
"It's Will Vinton Studios.
1050
00:53:16,861 --> 00:53:21,866
We're all successful," but I do
think he also had that personal
1051
00:53:22,733 --> 00:53:25,903
drive that he himself
wanted to be seen as the
1052
00:53:25,970 --> 00:53:28,873
driving creative force.
1053
00:53:28,906 --> 00:53:30,308
[electricity sparks]
1054
00:53:30,341 --> 00:53:32,710
-[Bill VO] Certainly
Walt Disney did a great job of
1055
00:53:32,743 --> 00:53:36,547
forging that visionary
personalization of his own name
1056
00:53:36,581 --> 00:53:38,316
as a brand itself.
1057
00:53:38,349 --> 00:53:40,318
[claps]
1058
00:53:40,351 --> 00:53:42,887
-[in Mickey Mouse voice]
Hey Pluto, here she comes!
1059
00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:46,524
-The general perception was Walt
Disney drew every comic book,
1060
00:53:46,557 --> 00:53:49,927
made every short film and
feature film -- in fact the
1061
00:53:49,994 --> 00:53:53,331
studio perpetuated that myth.
1062
00:53:53,364 --> 00:53:56,066
Of course that's why
the signature is the logo.
1063
00:53:56,100 --> 00:54:00,405
He was an artist and
he signed his artwork.
1064
00:54:00,738 --> 00:54:04,141
But when the artist looks
at Walt Disney to emulate,
1065
00:54:04,174 --> 00:54:07,845
that usually doesn't
work out too well.
1066
00:54:07,912 --> 00:54:10,080
-People resented that
he had these big goals,
1067
00:54:10,114 --> 00:54:12,617
and yet at the ground level
where we were working on stuff,
1068
00:54:12,650 --> 00:54:15,786
we just didn't
like it that much.
1069
00:54:15,820 --> 00:54:18,088
-Here's some Raisin news
right off the press for you;
1070
00:54:18,122 --> 00:54:20,958
starting this fall the
California Raisins will be added
1071
00:54:20,991 --> 00:54:23,193
to the Saturday
morning cartoon lineup.
1072
00:54:23,328 --> 00:54:25,129
Will Vinton will
produce the show.
1073
00:54:25,162 --> 00:54:28,999
It won't be done in
Claymation, but cel animation.
1074
00:54:29,033 --> 00:54:31,669
-*It's the
California Raisin Show!*
1075
00:54:31,702 --> 00:54:34,872
-That really was
against our grain,
1076
00:54:34,939 --> 00:54:37,842
because it was Saturday morning,
because it really was kind of
1077
00:54:37,875 --> 00:54:39,344
for kids.
1078
00:54:39,344 --> 00:54:42,212
-And so it was
less than a success.
1079
00:54:42,347 --> 00:54:44,549
-Whenever you get
really successful --
1080
00:54:44,615 --> 00:54:46,817
we were kind of the
flavor of the month --
1081
00:54:46,851 --> 00:54:49,219
you go out of fashion.
1082
00:54:49,354 --> 00:54:52,657
*melancholy piano music
1083
00:54:52,690 --> 00:54:56,894
-Guess those wrinkled rockers
were just a flash in the pan.
1084
00:54:56,961 --> 00:54:58,563
-[cartoon VO] Ouch!
1085
00:54:58,629 --> 00:54:59,697
-[Bill Fiesterman
VO] They were saying,
1086
00:54:59,730 --> 00:55:01,165
"There's a lot of
Claymation on TV now,
1087
00:55:01,198 --> 00:55:03,434
and advertising agencies are
looking for something that looks
1088
00:55:03,468 --> 00:55:05,202
a little different."
1089
00:55:05,235 --> 00:55:08,038
***
1090
00:55:13,411 --> 00:55:15,946
-You know, I
think we ought to...
1091
00:55:15,980 --> 00:55:18,649
I don't wanna put
it in the negative.
1092
00:55:18,716 --> 00:55:22,086
***
1093
00:55:22,119 --> 00:55:23,721
-[Will VO] People had
always come to us for something
1094
00:55:23,754 --> 00:55:26,657
that was really
unique and creative,
1095
00:55:26,724 --> 00:55:30,961
but people were starting to
say we were all about raisins.
1096
00:55:30,995 --> 00:55:34,565
Suddenly there was this kind of
myopic sense about what we do as
1097
00:55:34,599 --> 00:55:38,403
filmmakers, and that was tough
for me -- a double-edged sword,
1098
00:55:38,403 --> 00:55:40,805
as they say.
1099
00:55:42,072 --> 00:55:47,077
-The whole Claymation look
had kind of run its course,
1100
00:55:47,177 --> 00:55:52,182
and it dropped out of style,
and the studios fell on pretty
1101
00:55:52,417 --> 00:55:54,519
hard times.
1102
00:55:54,585 --> 00:55:56,987
-Despite our
limitations as artists,
1103
00:55:57,021 --> 00:56:00,491
and our foibles like not
wanting to lay anybody off,
1104
00:56:00,525 --> 00:56:04,662
period -- which is just totally
a non-concept when it comes to
1105
00:56:04,695 --> 00:56:06,497
proper business -- you
don't have the work,
1106
00:56:06,531 --> 00:56:09,667
get rid of people, you know,
it's the mantra -- it wasn't
1107
00:56:09,700 --> 00:56:12,770
even considered.
1108
00:56:13,037 --> 00:56:16,441
-They were having a really hard
time getting commercial work,
1109
00:56:16,507 --> 00:56:21,245
and there was very little
demand for what they were doing.
1110
00:56:21,278 --> 00:56:26,283
Will saw the logic in expanding
their look and style and tools.
1111
00:56:28,453 --> 00:56:31,689
-[Will VO] When I
first picked up clay...
1112
00:56:31,722 --> 00:56:36,226
while the material was crude,
lumpy, didn't stand up straight,
1113
00:56:36,260 --> 00:56:38,563
rather quickly, I
could really see that the
1114
00:56:38,596 --> 00:56:41,031
possibilities were phenomenal.
1115
00:56:41,065 --> 00:56:42,967
I feel that we're in
exactly the same place
1116
00:56:43,033 --> 00:56:45,470
with computer animation.
1117
00:56:45,470 --> 00:56:47,705
-[Chris VO] Computer
animation was brand new.
1118
00:56:47,738 --> 00:56:52,042
There had yet to be a
computer-animated movie and
1119
00:56:52,076 --> 00:56:55,279
computer animation was
just kind of a novelty.
1120
00:56:55,312 --> 00:56:57,815
-We really did
embrace the digital tools,
1121
00:56:57,882 --> 00:56:59,950
thinking this could
really bring some new energy,
1122
00:56:59,984 --> 00:57:02,920
some new life, some new ways
to bring to life characters.
1123
00:57:02,953 --> 00:57:05,690
*funky music
1124
00:57:05,723 --> 00:57:09,359
One of the old-time advertisers
that wanted to move into the
1125
00:57:09,393 --> 00:57:12,329
digital world was M&M's.
1126
00:57:12,362 --> 00:57:15,065
It was a big campaign, and
a lot of production companies
1127
00:57:15,132 --> 00:57:16,667
jumped on it.
1128
00:57:16,701 --> 00:57:19,904
So we actually had to compete,
but then nobody thought of us as
1129
00:57:19,970 --> 00:57:23,407
a computer company at all,
as even having the tools.
1130
00:57:23,508 --> 00:57:25,342
And the truth is [whispers] we
didn't really have the tools.
1131
00:57:25,375 --> 00:57:26,877
[laughs]
1132
00:57:26,911 --> 00:57:28,312
***
1133
00:57:28,345 --> 00:57:31,816
Our pitch to them was, "Anybody
can do the 3-D animation.
1134
00:57:31,849 --> 00:57:34,519
This is what we'd
like to see you doing.
1135
00:57:34,552 --> 00:57:39,557
Name them -- Red, Yellow, Green,
Blue -- give them character,
1136
00:57:39,857 --> 00:57:43,728
give them attitude,
give them backstories,
1137
00:57:43,761 --> 00:57:46,531
but above all just fill
them full of attitude."
1138
00:57:46,564 --> 00:57:50,100
-*Yes it's true, yeah,
we're totally blue*
1139
00:57:50,167 --> 00:57:51,736
-I wanna be in this commercial.
1140
00:57:51,769 --> 00:57:53,771
-You ain't getting this
job, 'cause you're not blue!
1141
00:57:53,838 --> 00:57:54,939
-Great.
1142
00:57:55,005 --> 00:57:58,275
-[Will VO] It's so cool
to see the exact same characters
1143
00:57:58,342 --> 00:58:03,280
that we pitched have
endured to this day.
1144
00:58:03,347 --> 00:58:05,349
-[David VO]
M&M's are a huge story.
1145
00:58:05,415 --> 00:58:09,086
They came because Will had
successfully sold the image of
1146
00:58:09,119 --> 00:58:10,955
Will Vinton as a creative force.
1147
00:58:10,988 --> 00:58:14,024
It's a really really important
pivot because that was a cash
1148
00:58:14,091 --> 00:58:18,162
cow and a proving ground for
what the studio could be and
1149
00:58:18,195 --> 00:58:21,465
became all throughout the '90s.
1150
00:58:21,566 --> 00:58:24,301
-[Chris VO] Everything
shifted during this time period.
1151
00:58:24,334 --> 00:58:26,604
They were
sticking in photographs.
1152
00:58:26,637 --> 00:58:29,974
They were making characters
out of cardboard flats.
1153
00:58:30,007 --> 00:58:33,477
They were experimenting with
all these different materials to
1154
00:58:33,578 --> 00:58:37,281
make stop-motion puppets
and different graphic looks.
1155
00:58:37,314 --> 00:58:39,584
-Al, I'm wood.
1156
00:58:39,584 --> 00:58:41,686
What have I got to lose?
1157
00:58:41,719 --> 00:58:43,621
[mechanical whir]
1158
00:58:43,654 --> 00:58:47,291
[saws buzz]
1159
00:58:47,324 --> 00:58:49,660
Oh, no!
1160
00:58:49,694 --> 00:58:51,829
-[Chris VO] In trying
all these different looks,
1161
00:58:51,862 --> 00:58:55,499
they really revitalized interest
in the studio and was pretty
1162
00:58:55,600 --> 00:58:58,135
successful again.
1163
00:58:58,168 --> 00:59:00,404
We kept getting more
and more accounts,
1164
00:59:00,470 --> 00:59:03,641
and they started
hiring people like crazy.
1165
00:59:03,708 --> 00:59:06,611
Most of the hiring that
they did was for full-time,
1166
00:59:06,611 --> 00:59:10,280
full-benefit staff positions.
1167
00:59:10,314 --> 00:59:13,751
It exploded in size.
1168
00:59:15,085 --> 00:59:17,121
-[Chuck VO] Will was always
supposed to just have a small
1169
00:59:17,154 --> 00:59:19,924
group of artists
that love what they do,
1170
00:59:19,957 --> 00:59:21,892
and he loved what he did.
1171
00:59:21,926 --> 00:59:24,394
I don't think Will
was a businessman.
1172
00:59:24,428 --> 00:59:26,731
He was just more of a creator
and an artist and a guy with
1173
00:59:26,764 --> 00:59:30,635
ideas, and he had fun at it.
1174
00:59:31,301 --> 00:59:32,670
-[Will VO] As
we grew the company,
1175
00:59:32,737 --> 00:59:36,106
it was becoming a little less
creatively satisfying for me.
1176
00:59:36,140 --> 00:59:40,144
I was doing a lot of stuff that
was not the things that excited
1177
00:59:40,177 --> 00:59:44,114
me about being an
artist, about being a creator,
1178
00:59:44,148 --> 00:59:49,019
so I was looking for more
creative things that I could do.
1179
00:59:50,354 --> 00:59:53,123
-We have a special guest
tonight on Oregon Art Beat,
1180
00:59:53,157 --> 00:59:56,293
the man who made
Claymation a household word.
1181
00:59:56,326 --> 00:59:58,095
Casey is with Will Vinton.
1182
00:59:58,128 --> 00:59:59,296
-That's right, I am.
1183
00:59:59,296 --> 01:00:01,098
Thank you very much, Mike,
and thank you for joining us.
1184
01:00:01,131 --> 01:00:02,199
-Oh, a pleasure.
1185
01:00:02,266 --> 01:00:03,768
-[Casey] We've got some
tape that shows a little bit of
1186
01:00:03,801 --> 01:00:04,835
the process.
1187
01:00:04,869 --> 01:00:06,470
Why don't we roll that
tape so we can see it,
1188
01:00:06,503 --> 01:00:08,806
and you can kind of
narrate it as we go along.
1189
01:00:08,839 --> 01:00:10,607
-[Will VO] What you
see here is Thurgood
1190
01:00:10,641 --> 01:00:14,211
who is in 'The PJs' which
is our television show.
1191
01:00:14,278 --> 01:00:16,313
-What happened is, I
described what the guy was like,
1192
01:00:16,346 --> 01:00:19,183
what his personality was
like, and Will Vinton would go,
1193
01:00:19,216 --> 01:00:21,051
and he'd make up sketches.
1194
01:00:21,118 --> 01:00:23,553
Then once I looked at him, then
I'd come up with a voice that
1195
01:00:23,620 --> 01:00:26,056
looks like what he
would sound like.
1196
01:00:26,123 --> 01:00:27,391
-Hello, projects!
1197
01:00:27,457 --> 01:00:29,894
[cheering]
1198
01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:33,330
I am the Reverend
Thurgood Stubbs.
1199
01:00:33,363 --> 01:00:36,300
-I worked very closely
with Eddie to do the pilot,
1200
01:00:36,333 --> 01:00:38,068
and that was fun, and
that was really creative,
1201
01:00:38,135 --> 01:00:41,806
and that was me getting
my feet back into it.
1202
01:00:41,839 --> 01:00:43,874
[helicopter sounds]
1203
01:00:43,908 --> 01:00:45,142
-I can't take this anymore!
1204
01:00:45,175 --> 01:00:47,211
I can't take it!
1205
01:00:47,244 --> 01:00:50,247
-But not as satisfying for
for me personally as doing
1206
01:00:50,314 --> 01:00:51,749
my own thing.
1207
01:00:51,816 --> 01:00:52,917
-[Casey] What can we look
forward to seeing from you in
1208
01:00:52,983 --> 01:00:54,184
the future?
1209
01:00:54,251 --> 01:00:56,353
-We have another show that'll be
launching called 'Gary & Mike'
1210
01:00:56,386 --> 01:00:59,356
that's gonna run on
Fox through the summer.
1211
01:00:59,389 --> 01:01:02,026
-There ain't nothing but
open road from here on out.
1212
01:01:02,059 --> 01:01:03,427
[car sputters]
1213
01:01:03,493 --> 01:01:05,763
-[Will VO] We
really scaled it up.
1214
01:01:05,796 --> 01:01:09,066
We did 13 half-hour
shows of 'The PJs'--
1215
01:01:09,099 --> 01:01:11,601
-Don't worry.
I know exactly what I'm doing.
1216
01:01:11,635 --> 01:01:13,403
Whoops! [grunts]
1217
01:01:13,437 --> 01:01:15,472
-[Will VO]
Eight of 'Gary & Mike'--
1218
01:01:15,505 --> 01:01:16,741
-Good luck!
1219
01:01:16,741 --> 01:01:19,443
-You're the one
who's gonna need it!
1220
01:01:19,476 --> 01:01:24,481
-80 or 90 major commercials,
all in a year's time.
1221
01:01:24,648 --> 01:01:28,518
They also were
significant revenue generators,
1222
01:01:28,585 --> 01:01:31,956
but I was
definitely into a new mode.
1223
01:01:31,989 --> 01:01:36,326
I'm not the
filmmaker-entrepreneur at all.
1224
01:01:36,360 --> 01:01:40,530
It was kind of a beast with
a life of its own that didn't
1225
01:01:40,597 --> 01:01:43,533
really equal me so much anymore.
1226
01:01:43,600 --> 01:01:45,202
-When you started, you
were a very small shop,
1227
01:01:45,269 --> 01:01:46,771
and now -- I think you were
telling me -- you have three
1228
01:01:46,804 --> 01:01:48,172
buildings in northwest Portland?
1229
01:01:48,205 --> 01:01:49,840
-[Will VO] Yeah,
we have three buildings,
1230
01:01:49,874 --> 01:01:51,108
sometimes four.
1231
01:01:51,141 --> 01:01:52,877
-[Casey VO] And how
much of a staff now?
1232
01:01:52,943 --> 01:01:55,813
-[Will VO] Well over 300
artists and animators and
1233
01:01:55,846 --> 01:01:57,647
staff-people.
1234
01:01:57,681 --> 01:02:00,284
-Well, we'll be seeing lots
of you as the years go by.
1235
01:02:00,317 --> 01:02:02,552
Will, thank you so much for
joining us on Oregon Art Beat.
1236
01:02:02,619 --> 01:02:03,888
-My pleasure.
1237
01:02:03,921 --> 01:02:05,189
*"You've Got a Friend
in Me" by Randy Newman*
1238
01:02:05,222 --> 01:02:07,024
-[Charlie VO] 'Toy Story'
made history last year as the
1239
01:02:07,057 --> 01:02:10,060
first
computer-generated feature film.
1240
01:02:10,094 --> 01:02:13,030
Joining me now,
Pixar's chairman and CEO,
1241
01:02:13,063 --> 01:02:14,799
Steve Jobs.
1242
01:02:14,865 --> 01:02:17,935
-We're about putting
stories into the culture,
1243
01:02:17,968 --> 01:02:19,636
that's what we're--
We're about telling stories.
1244
01:02:19,703 --> 01:02:20,805
And you know--
1245
01:02:20,838 --> 01:02:22,206
-I'm gonna come back and
interview you in five years and
1246
01:02:22,239 --> 01:02:25,375
find out you're in some other
business and you found some
1247
01:02:25,409 --> 01:02:26,610
other well to go fishing in?
1248
01:02:26,643 --> 01:02:29,313
-You know, I tend to stay
where I start until somebody
1249
01:02:29,379 --> 01:02:30,480
kicks me out.
1250
01:02:30,547 --> 01:02:32,817
[laughter]
1251
01:02:32,883 --> 01:02:35,585
-[Will VO] Steve Jobs seemed
to have an interest in us
1252
01:02:35,619 --> 01:02:38,155
as a television organization.
1253
01:02:38,222 --> 01:02:41,125
After quite a bit of due
diligence between the companies,
1254
01:02:41,158 --> 01:02:44,829
they came back and floated the
idea that Pixar would purchase
1255
01:02:44,829 --> 01:02:49,834
us and purchase all of
my stock for Pixar stock.
1256
01:02:50,835 --> 01:02:53,137
I'm going, "Well, what-
you know, okay, I'm sitting on
1257
01:02:53,170 --> 01:02:56,173
millions of shares of Will
Vinton Studios stock and there's
1258
01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:59,276
this company called Pixar,
so I'd be trading that for
1259
01:02:59,309 --> 01:03:02,612
millions of shares or
something of this Pixar stock,"
1260
01:03:02,646 --> 01:03:05,382
and basically just
rejected it out of hand.
1261
01:03:05,415 --> 01:03:09,887
Well, jump forward
about [laughs] 10/15 years.
1262
01:03:09,920 --> 01:03:14,191
If I had taken that deal, I'd be
probably arguably be one of the
1263
01:03:14,224 --> 01:03:16,660
largest, maybe the
largest shareholder of Disney.
1264
01:03:16,693 --> 01:03:19,063
[laughs]
1265
01:03:20,865 --> 01:03:23,233
-[man] You've been a
businessman for many years.
1266
01:03:23,267 --> 01:03:25,102
-[laughs]
1267
01:03:25,169 --> 01:03:26,536
Of sorts.
1268
01:03:26,570 --> 01:03:30,407
-Why did you step
down as CEO in 1997?
1269
01:03:30,440 --> 01:03:35,112
-I really wanted to get back to
doing what I had always-- what I
1270
01:03:35,179 --> 01:03:39,249
used to do, which was more
development and directing and
1271
01:03:39,283 --> 01:03:42,452
focus on that, on
the creative side.
1272
01:03:42,519 --> 01:03:46,690
-[Will VO] I was really eager to
get back into being a director,
1273
01:03:46,723 --> 01:03:51,228
and I was kind of ready
to shed responsibility.
1274
01:03:51,261 --> 01:03:54,932
I ended up deciding that I
really did need to bring in a
1275
01:03:54,965 --> 01:03:59,269
CEO that could come in and
handle the business side.
1276
01:04:01,738 --> 01:04:04,141
We actually came up with a
guy that I thought the world of
1277
01:04:04,174 --> 01:04:05,910
named Tom Turpin.
1278
01:04:05,910 --> 01:04:08,545
-[David VO] Tom Turpin
was a Gentleman's Quarterly
1279
01:04:08,612 --> 01:04:11,515
version of your
ideal CEO candidate.
1280
01:04:11,548 --> 01:04:14,118
He looked good, he
could say the right things,
1281
01:04:14,151 --> 01:04:19,023
he was always very
warm in a Hollywood way.
1282
01:04:19,056 --> 01:04:22,927
-People were leery when Tom
Turpin started because he was
1283
01:04:22,960 --> 01:04:27,064
just this dashing,
charming, fast-talking guy.
1284
01:04:28,032 --> 01:04:30,067
And Will just loved him.
1285
01:04:30,134 --> 01:04:33,703
We were like, "The guy just
says whatever you want to hear."
1286
01:04:33,737 --> 01:04:35,305
-Are you ready to make your
wildest dreams come true?
1287
01:04:35,339 --> 01:04:36,806
Of course you are!
1288
01:04:36,840 --> 01:04:38,008
-Whoa!
1289
01:04:38,008 --> 01:04:41,946
-I actually joined April 1st,
1997 -- April Fools Day --
1290
01:04:41,946 --> 01:04:42,947
and I dug it.
1291
01:04:42,980 --> 01:04:45,049
I just thought it
was a cool place, very cool.
1292
01:04:45,082 --> 01:04:47,151
The ad division was
really a cash cow,
1293
01:04:47,184 --> 01:04:48,752
and it really covered
a lot of the overhead,
1294
01:04:48,818 --> 01:04:50,754
so when the TV shows
came in, they started making
1295
01:04:50,820 --> 01:04:51,956
a lot of money.
1296
01:04:51,956 --> 01:04:53,958
We actually made a lot of money.
1297
01:04:53,958 --> 01:04:56,426
-[Will VO] One of the things
that our CEO felt we should do
1298
01:04:56,493 --> 01:04:58,095
is raise capital.
1299
01:04:58,162 --> 01:05:00,430
Well, that's a completely
different concept than what we
1300
01:05:00,497 --> 01:05:01,531
had ever had.
1301
01:05:01,598 --> 01:05:03,433
You know, what are we
gonna do with this capital?
1302
01:05:03,500 --> 01:05:06,236
And of course the mantra was,
"You raise capital when you
1303
01:05:06,270 --> 01:05:07,237
don't need it."
1304
01:05:07,271 --> 01:05:10,640
[laughing] Oh, okay, all right.
1305
01:05:10,674 --> 01:05:13,978
I think that
sounds right. [laughs]
1306
01:05:13,978 --> 01:05:17,281
-[man] Take a look
at exhibit four, please.
1307
01:05:18,582 --> 01:05:20,017
-[Tom VO] Phil, I
couldn't think of a more
1308
01:05:20,084 --> 01:05:22,586
prestigious investor than that.
1309
01:05:22,619 --> 01:05:26,290
We reminded him of when he was
at the beginning of his career,
1310
01:05:26,323 --> 01:05:28,993
and there was
something fun in that for him.
1311
01:05:28,993 --> 01:05:32,296
Company like Nike is so big;
it just turns into a monster
1312
01:05:32,329 --> 01:05:35,299
business, and your
role changes, right?
1313
01:05:35,332 --> 01:05:38,835
He just remembered that
kind of entrepreneurial juice,
1314
01:05:38,868 --> 01:05:42,706
and he saw it in us
-- let's just do it.
1315
01:05:43,107 --> 01:05:47,511
For $5,000,000, Phil acquired
15 percent of the company.
1316
01:05:47,544 --> 01:05:50,114
-[man] I heard you got offered
five million bucks to do one of
1317
01:05:50,147 --> 01:05:52,482
those tennis shoe
ads, is that true?
1318
01:05:52,516 --> 01:05:55,652
-Whoa, $5,000,000?
1319
01:05:55,685 --> 01:05:58,022
-I still liked the idea
of getting in the feature
1320
01:05:58,055 --> 01:05:59,789
film business.
1321
01:05:59,823 --> 01:06:01,025
-[Tom VO] To
move into features,
1322
01:06:01,025 --> 01:06:03,527
you need to have a
deep pocket behind you.
1323
01:06:03,560 --> 01:06:08,098
Pixar had Steve Jobs, and
now Vinton has Phil Knight.
1324
01:06:08,132 --> 01:06:10,134
-[Jeffrey VO] I can't think
that any other business that
1325
01:06:10,200 --> 01:06:12,069
he's invested in is stayed.
1326
01:06:12,102 --> 01:06:16,706
It was totally out of
character for Phil to do that.
1327
01:06:16,740 --> 01:06:20,644
Knight had so much money; it was
going to be a great partnership.
1328
01:06:23,447 --> 01:06:26,616
-[Will VO] Having built this
company, and 25 years later I
1329
01:06:26,650 --> 01:06:30,587
actually was looking at a kind
of exit strategy to slip into a
1330
01:06:30,620 --> 01:06:35,625
different role and allow me
the time to do my own projects.
1331
01:06:36,226 --> 01:06:38,395
-[Tom VO] I think that
Will's real dream was to be
1332
01:06:38,428 --> 01:06:40,397
making feature films.
1333
01:06:40,430 --> 01:06:42,766
[chimes]
1334
01:06:42,799 --> 01:06:46,736
-[man VO] Will Vinton Features
presents 'The Frog Prince.'
1335
01:06:47,071 --> 01:06:50,907
-We've taken the timeless appeal
of the Brothers Grimm story and
1336
01:06:50,940 --> 01:06:54,844
made it into this
expansive, magical,
1337
01:06:54,911 --> 01:06:58,415
emotionally
engaging musical comedy.
1338
01:06:58,448 --> 01:07:03,453
-He was so optimistic and
excited and enthusiastic about
1339
01:07:03,920 --> 01:07:06,090
everything that he did.
1340
01:07:06,090 --> 01:07:09,359
Not only were we gonna have
'Gary & Mike' and 'The PJs'
1341
01:07:09,393 --> 01:07:14,398
running, but we had three
pilots that were in production.
1342
01:07:14,431 --> 01:07:17,334
And at the same time, it was
looking like some of these
1343
01:07:17,367 --> 01:07:20,737
feature films were gonna
happen; 'Corpse Bride' started
1344
01:07:20,770 --> 01:07:23,107
to happen.
1345
01:07:24,208 --> 01:07:29,179
It felt like all of
Will's dreams were coming true.
1346
01:07:31,415 --> 01:07:36,420
-Mr. Knight had been a
shareholder since 1998, correct?
1347
01:07:37,187 --> 01:07:38,288
-Correct.
1348
01:07:38,355 --> 01:07:40,124
-[man] And he had been
very hands-off, hadn't he?
1349
01:07:40,190 --> 01:07:41,291
-Yes, that's correct.
1350
01:07:41,358 --> 01:07:44,261
-And his son had been an
employee from about that same
1351
01:07:44,294 --> 01:07:46,029
point in time, correct?
1352
01:07:46,130 --> 01:07:48,565
-That was one of the things
that Phil wanted as part of that
1353
01:07:48,598 --> 01:07:52,269
first investment was for his
son to have employment there.
1354
01:07:52,302 --> 01:07:55,939
*moody ambient music
1355
01:07:55,972 --> 01:07:58,208
-Phil Knight just said,
"I have a son who's in the
1356
01:07:58,242 --> 01:07:59,309
creative world.
1357
01:07:59,376 --> 01:08:01,711
He likes animation;
he's rapping now."
1358
01:08:01,745 --> 01:08:03,213
-*Nikes on my
feet, kick your seat*
1359
01:08:03,247 --> 01:08:04,348
*Through the
right or the left*
1360
01:08:04,381 --> 01:08:06,350
*Imma keep it slick
1361
01:08:06,383 --> 01:08:08,785
*You thought that I was
whack, money [indistinct]*
1362
01:08:08,818 --> 01:08:10,520
*Another name
for Richard is Dick*
1363
01:08:10,554 --> 01:08:13,657
*So get off mine
1364
01:08:13,690 --> 01:08:15,692
-[man VO] Although he's got his
own state-of-the-art recording
1365
01:08:15,725 --> 01:08:18,795
studio and indoor
tennis and basketball courts,
1366
01:08:18,828 --> 01:08:21,965
all this millionaire homeboy
really wants is to have his very
1367
01:08:21,998 --> 01:08:24,168
own posse.
1368
01:08:24,201 --> 01:08:26,970
I mean what's your response to
the kind of support or lack of
1369
01:08:27,003 --> 01:08:28,672
support you've
had from Portland?
1370
01:08:28,705 --> 01:08:30,374
-A lot of people have
a problem with me just because
1371
01:08:30,407 --> 01:08:32,242
they think I'm tryin' to front
or tryin' to fake or tryin' to
1372
01:08:32,309 --> 01:08:33,510
be Black or whatever.
1373
01:08:33,543 --> 01:08:35,078
Think I'm tryin' to
be something I'm not.
1374
01:08:35,179 --> 01:08:36,713
-[man] So you're kind of
like a homeboy without a posse
1375
01:08:36,746 --> 01:08:38,182
in a way.
1376
01:08:38,215 --> 01:08:39,649
-Yeah pretty much.
1377
01:08:39,683 --> 01:08:43,753
-Any young person, especially
any young son of a really
1378
01:08:43,820 --> 01:08:48,525
successful wealthy person, it's
a struggle to find an identity,
1379
01:08:48,558 --> 01:08:52,762
and Will hasn't
wished to be a great rapper.
1380
01:08:52,829 --> 01:08:56,400
But he found his niche and he
went to work for the company
1381
01:08:56,433 --> 01:08:58,235
that his dad's invested in.
1382
01:08:58,268 --> 01:08:59,669
[record scratches]
1383
01:08:59,703 --> 01:09:01,338
-[Tom VO] He
started like everybody started.
1384
01:09:01,371 --> 01:09:03,673
You don't need to know anything;
come and sweep the floors,
1385
01:09:03,707 --> 01:09:05,242
see if you like it.
1386
01:09:05,275 --> 01:09:08,278
Will and I thought the best way
to support Travis is not to tell
1387
01:09:08,312 --> 01:09:10,647
anybody that Phil
Knight's his dad.
1388
01:09:10,680 --> 01:09:13,517
I don't think anybody
knew for three years.
1389
01:09:13,583 --> 01:09:15,352
-To Travis's credit,
he seemed to really,
1390
01:09:15,419 --> 01:09:18,955
really love the animation
and took to it right away.
1391
01:09:18,988 --> 01:09:22,759
-[man] What are your goals
or plans as far as Travis's
1392
01:09:22,792 --> 01:09:24,428
involvement in the company?
1393
01:09:24,461 --> 01:09:25,929
-Well they're not my
plans; they're his plans,
1394
01:09:25,962 --> 01:09:30,634
that essentially his
plan is to be an animator.
1395
01:09:30,667 --> 01:09:32,469
That's what he loves doing.
1396
01:09:32,502 --> 01:09:35,805
He doesn't have management
ambition at the present time.
1397
01:09:35,839 --> 01:09:37,974
He doesn't even want to be a
director at the present time.
1398
01:09:38,007 --> 01:09:40,644
He wants to be an animator,
which he's very good at.
1399
01:09:40,677 --> 01:09:44,681
*moody ambient music
1400
01:09:44,714 --> 01:09:47,150
-[Chris VO] Will's
enthusiasm was the company's
1401
01:09:47,251 --> 01:09:50,287
greatest asset and
probably the greatest danger.
1402
01:09:52,256 --> 01:09:56,826
Both Tom Turpin and Will Vinton
were just raving and so excited
1403
01:09:56,860 --> 01:09:58,662
about what was happening.
1404
01:09:58,695 --> 01:10:01,064
And there were all
these dreams and goals,
1405
01:10:01,130 --> 01:10:03,500
but they never
seemed to have a plan B.
1406
01:10:03,533 --> 01:10:05,669
You know, what are you
gonna do if it doesn't happen?
1407
01:10:05,702 --> 01:10:07,304
He's like, "It'll happen."
1408
01:10:07,337 --> 01:10:12,041
-When Tom Turpin came in, it
became a very corporate place.
1409
01:10:12,075 --> 01:10:15,479
The whole structure -- the
feeling -- was different.
1410
01:10:15,512 --> 01:10:18,315
I would say it was a
completely different company.
1411
01:10:18,348 --> 01:10:23,019
-The "MBA" approach to CEO is
as all-powerful management,
1412
01:10:23,052 --> 01:10:25,221
we know best.
1413
01:10:25,255 --> 01:10:30,193
-[man] Why was Mr.
Turpin's contract not renewed?
1414
01:10:30,226 --> 01:10:34,998
-Primarily because
of his performance.
1415
01:10:35,031 --> 01:10:38,602
As Tom's policies
began to take effect,
1416
01:10:38,668 --> 01:10:41,505
we started losing money and
started spending an awful lot
1417
01:10:41,538 --> 01:10:43,106
of money.
1418
01:10:43,172 --> 01:10:45,709
-[David VO] Tom Turpin
wasn't making great decisions.
1419
01:10:45,742 --> 01:10:48,845
A lot of money was being thrown
in a lot of stupid places.
1420
01:10:48,878 --> 01:10:51,948
There's the legend of the
million dollar escalator.
1421
01:10:52,015 --> 01:10:54,684
They had rented two levels
of an office in an LA to look
1422
01:10:54,718 --> 01:10:58,254
impressive as they were
seducing and wooing studios.
1423
01:10:58,288 --> 01:11:01,691
Tom had the great idea to put
in an escalator between the two
1424
01:11:01,725 --> 01:11:04,060
floors because it would
be a dramatic entrance,
1425
01:11:04,093 --> 01:11:07,364
sort of like going up the
escalator to creative heaven at
1426
01:11:07,431 --> 01:11:10,767
Will Vinton's
Hollywood swanky pad.
1427
01:11:11,801 --> 01:11:14,938
-[man] When was
'The PJs' cancelled?
1428
01:11:14,971 --> 01:11:16,806
-It was the early part of 2001.
1429
01:11:16,840 --> 01:11:19,042
-What was the name of the
other television series?
1430
01:11:19,108 --> 01:11:20,344
-'Gary & Mike.'
1431
01:11:20,344 --> 01:11:23,547
-And when did it
cease being on TV?
1432
01:11:23,613 --> 01:11:26,350
-I believe it was right
around the same time.
1433
01:11:26,350 --> 01:11:28,184
-[Tom VO] TV
shows get cancelled.
1434
01:11:28,217 --> 01:11:31,521
These TV shows were like
two-thirds of our revenue --
1435
01:11:31,555 --> 01:11:34,358
$10,000,000-a-year projects --
and then if they go away it's
1436
01:11:34,358 --> 01:11:37,361
like, "Boom,
$10,000,000 is gone."
1437
01:11:37,361 --> 01:11:40,964
-The pilots -- one by one
-- don't get picked up,
1438
01:11:40,997 --> 01:11:43,867
and then the feature films
they've been talking about,
1439
01:11:43,900 --> 01:11:47,003
none of those come to fruition.
1440
01:11:47,036 --> 01:11:49,406
And then everything
started to come apart.
1441
01:11:49,473 --> 01:11:53,176
-How would you describe the
financial condition of Will
1442
01:11:53,209 --> 01:11:58,047
Vinton Studios during
the spring of 2002?
1443
01:11:58,081 --> 01:12:01,651
-It was [clears throat]
struggling, not good.
1444
01:12:01,685 --> 01:12:03,853
-[Melissa VO] We have
to support all these people,
1445
01:12:03,887 --> 01:12:07,090
and suddenly your
money-making machine stops,
1446
01:12:07,123 --> 01:12:08,492
but you're
still spending money,
1447
01:12:08,558 --> 01:12:11,160
you're literally bleeding money.
1448
01:12:11,227 --> 01:12:12,762
-If it had been Hollywood,
it would have been a totally
1449
01:12:12,796 --> 01:12:15,565
different deal, because all of
these guys would have been on
1450
01:12:15,599 --> 01:12:18,435
contract -- they would have been
temporary workers -- and the
1451
01:12:18,468 --> 01:12:21,838
minute the work went
away, they would be gone.
1452
01:12:21,905 --> 01:12:26,910
-Was it in that context that the
company approached Phil Knight
1453
01:12:27,243 --> 01:12:31,314
about a possible
additional investment?
1454
01:12:31,415 --> 01:12:33,116
-Yes.
1455
01:12:33,149 --> 01:12:36,252
-He had an army of really smart
businesspeople putting together
1456
01:12:36,285 --> 01:12:38,622
the contracts to
protect his investment.
1457
01:12:38,655 --> 01:12:40,524
There were stacks
like this of contracts,
1458
01:12:40,590 --> 01:12:42,125
you know, that I
didn't even read,
1459
01:12:42,158 --> 01:12:43,960
you know, when we
probably signed up the thing.
1460
01:12:43,993 --> 01:12:46,095
-When you want a loan, there's
only one person you need to
1461
01:12:46,129 --> 01:12:48,264
see--
[quirky sound effect]
1462
01:12:48,297 --> 01:12:49,666
The Brains.
1463
01:12:49,699 --> 01:12:51,801
-It was not an
investment I wanted to make.
1464
01:12:51,835 --> 01:12:54,003
It was not a good
economic investment,
1465
01:12:54,037 --> 01:12:55,439
in my view.
1466
01:12:55,439 --> 01:12:58,141
Will Vinton seemed to me to
be trying to commit suicide for
1467
01:12:58,174 --> 01:12:59,809
the company.
1468
01:12:59,843 --> 01:13:03,146
-He thought that Phil Knight
would be a benign benefactor who
1469
01:13:03,179 --> 01:13:05,682
knew the shoe business.
[laughs]
1470
01:13:05,715 --> 01:13:08,184
I remember Will saying to
me, "There's no business like
1471
01:13:08,217 --> 01:13:09,619
shoe business."
1472
01:13:09,686 --> 01:13:11,521
***
1473
01:13:11,555 --> 01:13:15,058
-I was aware of the fact
that if we had a downturn,
1474
01:13:15,091 --> 01:13:18,061
that he would be able to
take certain kind of control.
1475
01:13:18,094 --> 01:13:20,597
But we'd been
profitable 23 years out of 25,
1476
01:13:20,630 --> 01:13:23,366
so what was I worried about?
1477
01:13:23,467 --> 01:13:28,271
-Do you remember him telling
you that if he was to make an
1478
01:13:28,304 --> 01:13:33,309
additional investment, that he
would drive a very hard bargain?
1479
01:13:33,877 --> 01:13:35,244
-[Will] Yes.
1480
01:13:35,278 --> 01:13:38,114
-Do you think Mr.
Knight drove a hard bargain?
1481
01:13:38,147 --> 01:13:39,816
-Sure, absolutely.
1482
01:13:39,883 --> 01:13:43,386
-He was driving a
very hard bargain, correct?
1483
01:13:43,487 --> 01:13:44,654
-[Will] That's correct.
1484
01:13:44,721 --> 01:13:47,724
Could I get a little
more water, or-- could I?
1485
01:13:47,757 --> 01:13:50,494
-[man VO] Phil Knight versus
Will Vinton was sort of like the
1486
01:13:50,494 --> 01:13:52,796
great white
shark versus a guppy.
1487
01:13:52,829 --> 01:13:55,832
[water bubbles]
1488
01:13:55,899 --> 01:13:57,501
-[Melissa VO]
Will must've been somewhat
1489
01:13:57,567 --> 01:14:01,070
blindsided, or maybe didn't
understand that Phil Knight
1490
01:14:01,104 --> 01:14:03,406
would play hardball with him.
1491
01:14:03,507 --> 01:14:08,512
-Were you aware at the time you
signed the employment agreement
1492
01:14:09,546 --> 01:14:14,551
that it authorized your
termination without cause?
1493
01:14:14,718 --> 01:14:18,087
***
1494
01:14:18,154 --> 01:14:19,823
-Sure.
1495
01:14:19,856 --> 01:14:24,861
-Did you have an understanding
what "without cause" meant?
1496
01:14:26,563 --> 01:14:29,733
-Um, a basic
understanding, I guess.
1497
01:14:29,766 --> 01:14:33,436
-Did you understand that
it meant any reason or no reason
1498
01:14:33,537 --> 01:14:36,439
at all?
1499
01:14:36,540 --> 01:14:38,608
-[laughs]
1500
01:14:40,443 --> 01:14:42,011
-[Will VO] Now we're
into some really heavy-duty
1501
01:14:42,045 --> 01:14:43,446
business stuff.
1502
01:14:43,547 --> 01:14:47,083
The company's losing money,
and we had a lot of commitments.
1503
01:14:47,116 --> 01:14:50,887
-[Tom VO] They were
hemorrhaging money like crazy.
1504
01:14:51,454 --> 01:14:55,892
-In business, the best deals
are kind of win-win deals.
1505
01:14:55,925 --> 01:14:58,562
That's not the way
they liked to play.
1506
01:14:58,595 --> 01:15:01,765
If somebody's winning,
that means you're losing.
1507
01:15:01,798 --> 01:15:05,669
-[Jeffrey VO] Phil Knight slowly
started taking possession.
1508
01:15:05,702 --> 01:15:10,707
He acquired a lot of it
without Will knowing about it.
1509
01:15:10,840 --> 01:15:15,378
Phil Knight soon had a
majority of the stock.
1510
01:15:17,213 --> 01:15:19,716
-[man VO] Why were you
interested of taking voting
1511
01:15:19,783 --> 01:15:21,851
control of the company?
1512
01:15:21,885 --> 01:15:24,487
-I had to get
something for my investment.
1513
01:15:24,588 --> 01:15:26,690
If it had just been the
economics of the situation,
1514
01:15:26,723 --> 01:15:28,692
I would never have done it.
1515
01:15:28,725 --> 01:15:30,994
But I had a son that worked
there that loved the company,
1516
01:15:31,027 --> 01:15:33,462
that loved his job, loved
the people he worked with,
1517
01:15:33,496 --> 01:15:36,465
had a chance to work with Tim
Burton -- who's probably the
1518
01:15:36,499 --> 01:15:39,368
ultimate in terms of
animation, creative,
1519
01:15:39,402 --> 01:15:43,840
respect, and talent -- and I
concluded that I would try and
1520
01:15:43,873 --> 01:15:46,876
keep the company alive.
1521
01:15:47,043 --> 01:15:51,047
Why on earth did you
not just say thank you?
1522
01:15:55,752 --> 01:15:58,487
-[man] At this point in time,
had you resigned yourself to the
1523
01:15:58,521 --> 01:16:03,326
fact that your days were
numbered at Will Vinton Studios?
1524
01:16:03,359 --> 01:16:07,063
-I really couldn't believe
that would be an outcome of
1525
01:16:07,096 --> 01:16:08,965
this business.
1526
01:16:08,998 --> 01:16:12,802
Nobody in their right mind
would lay off the founder of the
1527
01:16:12,836 --> 01:16:17,841
company and the rainmaker
for most of the business,
1528
01:16:17,907 --> 01:16:22,912
except somebody who had other
motives and some deep pocket to
1529
01:16:23,079 --> 01:16:26,249
back it up and go
somewhere else with it.
1530
01:16:26,983 --> 01:16:31,955
It was clear that Phil had made
up his mind that he was going to
1531
01:16:31,988 --> 01:16:33,657
take that company.
1532
01:16:33,657 --> 01:16:35,358
[clamoring]
1533
01:16:35,424 --> 01:16:36,793
-[disembodied voice] Fools!
1534
01:16:36,826 --> 01:16:40,664
[people praying]
1535
01:16:40,664 --> 01:16:44,367
-[lman] Were you terminated
from your employment at Will
1536
01:16:44,433 --> 01:16:45,835
Vinton Studios?
1537
01:16:45,869 --> 01:16:49,505
-[sighs] Yes, I was.
1538
01:16:53,309 --> 01:16:58,314
-What is the factual basis for
your assertion that Phil Knight
1539
01:16:58,682 --> 01:17:03,519
wanted to take control of this
company to turn the company over
1540
01:17:03,552 --> 01:17:05,554
to Travis Knight?
1541
01:17:05,588 --> 01:17:10,593
-Well, the fact that
Phil requested Travis's
1542
01:17:10,860 --> 01:17:12,929
employment way back.
1543
01:17:12,962 --> 01:17:17,266
The fact that Travis stayed
a part of the organization,
1544
01:17:17,300 --> 01:17:22,405
you know, the Chilly
Tee fiasco happened.
1545
01:17:22,471 --> 01:17:25,942
Which I suspect that this was a
little more compatible way to
1546
01:17:25,975 --> 01:17:29,078
use money to get
into the business.
1547
01:17:29,112 --> 01:17:31,580
Heck, it's hard to imagine
any other motivation,
1548
01:17:31,614 --> 01:17:34,383
to be frank.
1549
01:17:34,583 --> 01:17:37,153
-[Jeffrey VO] There
are these issues of nepotism.
1550
01:17:37,220 --> 01:17:40,223
There are these issues of,
"Did Phil Knight take advantage
1551
01:17:40,256 --> 01:17:42,091
of Will?"
1552
01:17:42,125 --> 01:17:43,927
*dark string music
1553
01:17:43,960 --> 01:17:47,563
This collision of Phil Knight
and Will Vinton -- creativity
1554
01:17:47,596 --> 01:17:50,734
versus commerce --
they were at odds,
1555
01:17:50,734 --> 01:17:53,402
and...
1556
01:17:53,436 --> 01:17:57,841
Will came out the
loser of that battle.
1557
01:17:57,907 --> 01:18:01,978
-[man] You're aware that
you're entitled to a termination
1558
01:18:02,011 --> 01:18:03,780
payment, correct?
1559
01:18:03,813 --> 01:18:04,981
-Yes.
1560
01:18:05,014 --> 01:18:07,050
-You got the $50,000, correct?
1561
01:18:07,083 --> 01:18:08,084
-[Will] That's correct.
1562
01:18:08,151 --> 01:18:10,586
-You never got the
$150,000, isn't that right?
1563
01:18:10,653 --> 01:18:11,888
-[Will] That's correct.
1564
01:18:11,955 --> 01:18:15,424
-And that's because one of those
conditions was that the 'Corpse
1565
01:18:15,491 --> 01:18:19,195
Bride' contract be
signed, correct?
1566
01:18:19,228 --> 01:18:20,997
-[laughs] Yes.
1567
01:18:21,030 --> 01:18:24,768
-Was it only coincidental that
the 'Corpse Bride' contract was
1568
01:18:24,768 --> 01:18:27,904
signed the day after Mr.
Vinton's was terminated?
1569
01:18:27,937 --> 01:18:29,939
-Yes.
1570
01:18:30,006 --> 01:18:34,177
-[Jeffrey VO] He walked
away with $50,000 for a lifetime
1571
01:18:34,210 --> 01:18:37,513
of artistic and
creative struggle.
1572
01:18:37,546 --> 01:18:39,949
That's ridiculous.
1573
01:18:40,016 --> 01:18:42,786
-[Michele VO] There was
no need to do that mean stuff.
1574
01:18:42,786 --> 01:18:47,523
They took Claymation, the
name-- they took everything.
1575
01:18:47,556 --> 01:18:49,793
They didn't need to do that.
1576
01:18:49,793 --> 01:18:53,062
I think that's
really "poor paper,"
1577
01:18:53,096 --> 01:18:55,598
as my grandma would say.
1578
01:18:55,631 --> 01:18:59,302
-Are you happier today that
you are no longer employed by
1579
01:18:59,368 --> 01:19:00,970
that company?
1580
01:19:01,037 --> 01:19:05,308
-I absolutely did not
want to leave that company.
1581
01:19:05,341 --> 01:19:08,812
-And you have told the public
or people that you are happier
1582
01:19:08,812 --> 01:19:11,714
today that you're no
longer employed by the company.
1583
01:19:11,815 --> 01:19:16,152
-How could I be happy about
having left the company that I
1584
01:19:16,185 --> 01:19:21,190
built, that I am so close to?
1585
01:19:21,724 --> 01:19:26,662
It was like a family, and I had
my entire net worth wrapped up
1586
01:19:26,695 --> 01:19:28,497
in that company.
1587
01:19:28,531 --> 01:19:31,500
I...
1588
01:19:31,534 --> 01:19:34,470
My...
1589
01:19:42,045 --> 01:19:43,913
Yeah.
1590
01:19:43,980 --> 01:19:45,314
-[man] That's all
I have for today!
1591
01:19:45,348 --> 01:19:47,183
-[laughs]
1592
01:19:47,216 --> 01:19:52,155
*"RIP Coyote Condo
#5" by Grandaddy*
1593
01:20:17,513 --> 01:20:20,216
-He just didn't know
what was happening,
1594
01:20:20,249 --> 01:20:22,385
and his studio was just gone.
1595
01:20:22,418 --> 01:20:26,689
***
1596
01:20:35,198 --> 01:20:36,599
-[Melissa VO]
The next thing I know,
1597
01:20:36,632 --> 01:20:39,368
Vinton Studios
belongs to Travis Knight,
1598
01:20:39,402 --> 01:20:43,139
and that between
Travis and his father Phil,
1599
01:20:43,206 --> 01:20:44,473
it's Laika.
1600
01:20:44,540 --> 01:20:46,209
-[reporter VO] It's the little
studio that could -- Laika --
1601
01:20:46,242 --> 01:20:47,944
the CEO of the
company is Travis Knight.
1602
01:20:47,977 --> 01:20:50,446
He joins us now
from Portland, Oregon.
1603
01:20:50,479 --> 01:20:51,747
-Something just evolved.
1604
01:20:51,780 --> 01:20:53,816
It was an opportunity that
came up that I-- you know,
1605
01:20:53,883 --> 01:20:55,151
who would think you
could actually make a living
1606
01:20:55,218 --> 01:20:56,252
doing this?
1607
01:20:56,319 --> 01:20:58,587
It does not seem like
it's a plausible life plan,
1608
01:20:58,621 --> 01:21:00,123
but it's
something I always loved.
1609
01:21:00,156 --> 01:21:01,891
And when I had the-- when the
opportunity was presented to me,
1610
01:21:01,925 --> 01:21:05,494
I took it-- I took, you know,
grabbed it and ran with it.
1611
01:21:05,528 --> 01:21:06,495
-[reporter] So was
Laika the opportunity,
1612
01:21:06,529 --> 01:21:07,931
or was there another
thing before that?
1613
01:21:07,964 --> 01:21:11,534
-No, I was-- I worked at another
animation house before then.
1614
01:21:11,567 --> 01:21:16,405
-Travis -- by all accounts -- is
a talented guy and transcended
1615
01:21:16,472 --> 01:21:20,343
any sort of talk that this
was all about finding sonny
1616
01:21:20,376 --> 01:21:22,345
boy a job.
1617
01:21:22,378 --> 01:21:25,514
-[Melissa VO] It's just
sad that Will was able to take
1618
01:21:25,548 --> 01:21:30,153
his dream to a certain point
and was not able to go to that
1619
01:21:30,186 --> 01:21:33,056
next level.
1620
01:21:33,089 --> 01:21:35,558
Somebody else took it there.
1621
01:21:35,591 --> 01:21:37,593
-[Tom VO] For Will to
build it up to this point where
1622
01:21:37,660 --> 01:21:39,695
it got as big as it
was ever gonna get,
1623
01:21:39,728 --> 01:21:43,032
and then ka-blooey,
then lose the thing.
1624
01:21:43,066 --> 01:21:46,435
How could he build all this up
and then it gets taken away?
1625
01:21:46,502 --> 01:21:48,404
-[Chuck VO] It goes
back to the Disney thing.
1626
01:21:48,437 --> 01:21:51,574
It's great that
he had that dream,
1627
01:21:51,607 --> 01:21:53,709
but he couldn't do it.
1628
01:21:53,742 --> 01:21:58,547
It's sort of this Disney
ghost that haunted him.
1629
01:21:58,581 --> 01:22:02,451
-I was all broken up
after he got let go,
1630
01:22:02,518 --> 01:22:07,123
and I went to see him at
a little farewell party.
1631
01:22:07,156 --> 01:22:10,193
He said, "I just feel relief."
1632
01:22:10,259 --> 01:22:13,429
He said, "I've been so worried
about how I'm gonna pay the
1633
01:22:13,462 --> 01:22:18,167
bills, how I'm gonna keep
these people employed."
1634
01:22:18,201 --> 01:22:20,169
-[Craig VO] We hopped
in his motorboat and zoomed into
1635
01:22:20,203 --> 01:22:22,771
Portland up the
Willamette from his house.
1636
01:22:22,805 --> 01:22:24,273
I'm like, "Dude, you're cut."
1637
01:22:24,307 --> 01:22:26,442
And he's just like, [motorboat
sound] in his motorboat,
1638
01:22:26,475 --> 01:22:30,013
and I'm like, "Man, clearly
this guy-- the worst things can
1639
01:22:30,013 --> 01:22:33,382
happen to this guy and
he's gonna bounce back."
1640
01:22:33,449 --> 01:22:35,051
-[Mary VO] He
was never vengeful.
1641
01:22:35,118 --> 01:22:37,186
He was certainly
never self-pitying.
1642
01:22:37,220 --> 01:22:41,890
And I remember him taking a
fair amount of responsibility.
1643
01:22:42,025 --> 01:22:46,529
He made mistakes; yeah,
he made some bad mistakes.
1644
01:22:46,562 --> 01:22:51,367
But the beauty is, when men get
older and they've lost lovers,
1645
01:22:51,400 --> 01:22:55,038
friends,
businesses, they get humble,
1646
01:22:55,038 --> 01:22:58,407
and then the best
of them comes out,
1647
01:22:58,474 --> 01:23:01,410
and the best of what it
means to be a father.
1648
01:23:01,477 --> 01:23:03,379
-[Jesse VO] I did
get to see him a lot more.
1649
01:23:03,412 --> 01:23:06,782
There was a transformation
emotionally in him.
1650
01:23:06,815 --> 01:23:09,052
He knew better than
ever that family was
1651
01:23:09,085 --> 01:23:10,753
the most important thing.
1652
01:23:10,786 --> 01:23:14,590
***
1653
01:23:21,130 --> 01:23:23,499
-[nurse] Okay, so spell
your last name for me.
1654
01:23:23,566 --> 01:23:24,900
-V-I-N-T-O-N.
1655
01:23:24,933 --> 01:23:26,135
-[nurse] Spell your first name.
1656
01:23:26,169 --> 01:23:28,837
-[laughing]
Seeing if I can spell, or what?
1657
01:23:28,904 --> 01:23:32,975
-I gotta do it for the bracelet.
-W-I-L-L-I-A-M.
1658
01:23:33,076 --> 01:23:38,081
Actually it bothers me to
see needles on somebody else,
1659
01:23:38,347 --> 01:23:39,748
or even my dog.
1660
01:23:39,782 --> 01:23:42,118
God, I about passed out
one time when I took my dog
1661
01:23:42,151 --> 01:23:43,586
in for something.
1662
01:23:43,619 --> 01:23:44,687
[both laugh]
1663
01:23:44,753 --> 01:23:46,489
-I was gonna say, this
has never bothered you.
1664
01:23:46,522 --> 01:23:47,990
-[nurse VO] How are
you feeling today?
1665
01:23:48,091 --> 01:23:49,825
-[Will] Kinda
sluggin' around a little bit.
1666
01:23:49,858 --> 01:23:51,127
-[nurse] You have a
transfusion today, right?
1667
01:23:51,160 --> 01:23:53,462
-[Will] Uh, tomorrow.
1668
01:23:53,496 --> 01:23:55,698
-[nurse] Okay,
any pain today?
1669
01:23:55,764 --> 01:23:56,932
-[Will] A little in the back.
1670
01:23:56,965 --> 01:23:58,934
-[nurse] Any change in
medications since we saw
1671
01:23:58,967 --> 01:24:00,969
you last?
1672
01:24:01,003 --> 01:24:03,372
-Maybe dropped the--
I'm a little confused;
1673
01:24:03,439 --> 01:24:06,008
I've got a lot of doctors.
1674
01:24:06,109 --> 01:24:07,276
-[nurse] Pointer...
1675
01:24:07,343 --> 01:24:08,511
So yeah, you
won't be as short
1676
01:24:08,544 --> 01:24:10,779
of breath after
that transfusion.
1677
01:24:10,846 --> 01:24:12,115
Have you had a
transfusion before?
1678
01:24:12,115 --> 01:24:14,783
-Yeah, just-- yeah.
1679
01:24:14,850 --> 01:24:17,686
Not that long ago.
1680
01:24:17,720 --> 01:24:20,856
-You're-- hang on,
you are a pioneer,
1681
01:24:20,889 --> 01:24:23,759
and I'm excited to say that
we're giving you our lifetime
1682
01:24:23,792 --> 01:24:25,128
achievement award.
1683
01:24:25,194 --> 01:24:27,430
[applause]
1684
01:24:27,463 --> 01:24:28,531
-[Will] Thank you everybody.
1685
01:24:28,564 --> 01:24:32,535
[applause]
1686
01:24:33,202 --> 01:24:36,305
-I think most of you know, Will
Vinton Studios was acquired by
1687
01:24:36,372 --> 01:24:39,775
Phil Knight, and subsequently
1688
01:24:39,808 --> 01:24:42,645
the name was
changed to Laika.
1689
01:24:42,711 --> 01:24:46,149
There are those out there who
think that I should not be very
1690
01:24:46,149 --> 01:24:47,750
comfortable with that.
1691
01:24:47,783 --> 01:24:50,419
[laughing] So I'm gonna
set the record straight,
1692
01:24:50,453 --> 01:24:51,754
um, right here.
1693
01:24:51,787 --> 01:24:56,792
The truth is -- you know -- I
couldn't be more pleased that
1694
01:24:56,925 --> 01:25:00,163
under such strong
financial leadership,
1695
01:25:00,229 --> 01:25:03,332
that Laika has been able to
continue to grow and really
1696
01:25:03,399 --> 01:25:06,202
expand on the
world of stop-motion.
1697
01:25:06,235 --> 01:25:08,171
-Need a-- need the cigar.
1698
01:25:08,171 --> 01:25:11,240
-[Will VO] For me, all of
this activity, I feel like a
1699
01:25:11,307 --> 01:25:16,078
proud father, or bastard
father in this filmmaker scene.
1700
01:25:16,679 --> 01:25:18,013
-Michele!
1701
01:25:18,046 --> 01:25:19,682
-Oh Will, thank you.
1702
01:25:19,715 --> 01:25:22,718
-[Will VO] And that's
been a continually gratifying
1703
01:25:22,751 --> 01:25:26,021
aspect of this
company that we created.
1704
01:25:26,054 --> 01:25:28,891
But what pushes me and gets
me excited are -- frankly -- my
1705
01:25:28,924 --> 01:25:30,526
own projects.
1706
01:25:30,559 --> 01:25:34,863
See something else come
to life in a new way.
1707
01:25:37,200 --> 01:25:41,337
One that I'm extremely excited
about is this musical project
1708
01:25:41,370 --> 01:25:43,206
called 'The Kiss.'
1709
01:25:43,206 --> 01:25:46,275
I'm not a puppeteer but there's
a lot of time that a frog spends
1710
01:25:46,342 --> 01:25:48,211
just sitting there.
1711
01:25:48,244 --> 01:25:50,713
And that's one of their
charms is that they're just
1712
01:25:50,746 --> 01:25:52,448
sitting there.
1713
01:25:52,515 --> 01:25:54,783
And frogs are-- real
frogs, when they move,
1714
01:25:54,850 --> 01:25:57,253
they're sudden a lot.
1715
01:25:57,286 --> 01:25:59,755
You know, they hop or
they move or something,
1716
01:25:59,788 --> 01:26:04,793
and then their backend
is completely still again.
1717
01:26:05,794 --> 01:26:07,330
-[Melissa VO] It's an
idea that he was working on when
1718
01:26:07,363 --> 01:26:09,832
he was at the studio -- 'The
Frog Prince' -- that he wanted
1719
01:26:09,865 --> 01:26:12,268
to do as a feature film.
1720
01:26:12,301 --> 01:26:17,306
Now he's metamorphosing that
to now he sees it as a musical.
1721
01:26:18,040 --> 01:26:23,045
*"Sugar Lips" by David
Pomeranz and Will Vinton*
1722
01:26:24,313 --> 01:26:26,482
-[Will VO] It's really
about all the things we've been
1723
01:26:26,515 --> 01:26:27,716
talking about.
1724
01:26:27,783 --> 01:26:31,554
It's about characters and
stories and entertainment,
1725
01:26:31,620 --> 01:26:32,688
about music.
1726
01:26:32,721 --> 01:26:33,956
It's about comedy.
1727
01:26:33,989 --> 01:26:37,159
It's about great conflicts
that characters have to face.
1728
01:26:37,260 --> 01:26:41,797
***
1729
01:26:46,702 --> 01:26:50,339
As long as I'm alive, I'm
gonna keep making things.
1730
01:26:50,373 --> 01:26:51,340
I just love it.
1731
01:26:51,374 --> 01:26:53,842
I don't know what else to do.
1732
01:26:53,876 --> 01:26:54,710
It's just great fun.
1733
01:26:54,743 --> 01:26:57,713
It's just great, great fun.
1734
01:26:57,746 --> 01:27:00,283
[drips]
1735
01:27:00,316 --> 01:27:03,886
The condition I have -- it's
multiple myeloma -- is a blood
1736
01:27:03,919 --> 01:27:08,090
cancer -- blood and bone.
1737
01:27:08,724 --> 01:27:13,729
And I've sort of done in the
past is ignored and not talked
1738
01:27:13,962 --> 01:27:17,766
about health issues.
1739
01:27:17,800 --> 01:27:22,605
And if you don't talk about
it, people don't pick up on it,
1740
01:27:22,638 --> 01:27:24,673
and so a lot of people -- even
good friends -- might not even
1741
01:27:24,740 --> 01:27:29,077
know that I have this condition.
1742
01:27:30,679 --> 01:27:32,781
If you did
mention it to somebody,
1743
01:27:32,815 --> 01:27:35,651
suddenly that was everything.
1744
01:27:35,918 --> 01:27:38,487
It's all anybody talked about,
and it's all anybody asked you
1745
01:27:38,521 --> 01:27:40,188
about, and so forth.
1746
01:27:40,323 --> 01:27:42,991
There are so many more things
I'd rather have them ask me
1747
01:27:43,025 --> 01:27:46,595
about, like
how's-- like, you know...
1748
01:27:46,629 --> 01:27:50,333
about the lead
character in 'The Kiss...'
1749
01:27:50,333 --> 01:27:53,369
you know, how
does he really...[chuckles]
1750
01:27:53,436 --> 01:27:56,004
is he really the captain of the
football team who's been
1751
01:27:56,038 --> 01:27:59,174
handicapped by being a frog?
1752
01:27:59,207 --> 01:28:02,210
I mean, that's fascinating,
that's good stuff to talk about
1753
01:28:02,345 --> 01:28:06,114
to me, but...
1754
01:28:06,181 --> 01:28:09,752
during a lot of that
time, I forget about it myself.
1755
01:28:10,686 --> 01:28:14,022
Can't forget about it now
because I'm kind of into it
1756
01:28:14,056 --> 01:28:16,859
intensely with
this new treatment,
1757
01:28:16,892 --> 01:28:19,895
so we'll see how that goes.
1758
01:28:20,696 --> 01:28:23,932
I've been a regular
for a long time, so...
1759
01:28:27,102 --> 01:28:29,872
-2006
1760
01:28:29,905 --> 01:28:33,942
-I think that Will becoming
very ill with this secret,
1761
01:28:33,976 --> 01:28:38,981
internal disease and having a
company that is also sick at the
1762
01:28:39,648 --> 01:28:44,119
same time with internal strife,
we don't know if those two
1763
01:28:44,152 --> 01:28:46,154
things are related, but
it feels like they are,
1764
01:28:46,221 --> 01:28:48,156
doesn't it?
1765
01:28:48,223 --> 01:28:51,627
What would it have been like
if he had been able to say,
1766
01:28:51,660 --> 01:28:55,498
"I'm scared to death"
or "I'm really angry?"
1767
01:28:59,468 --> 01:29:02,838
If I could go back in
time, I'd shake him,
1768
01:29:02,905 --> 01:29:07,175
and I'd say, "Tell me know you
really feel about all of this."
1769
01:29:07,209 --> 01:29:08,411
-[woman] Bye, Will.
-Bye-bye!
1770
01:29:08,477 --> 01:29:10,413
-[woman] Have a great week.
-See you, thanks.
1771
01:29:10,413 --> 01:29:11,847
-[woman] You're welcome.
1772
01:29:11,880 --> 01:29:14,082
-[Jesse VO] Dying
was very confusing for him.
1773
01:29:14,149 --> 01:29:16,151
He would say, "If
only this was easier,
1774
01:29:16,184 --> 01:29:21,189
if only I knew
kind of what to do."
1775
01:29:23,191 --> 01:29:25,861
[breathes out]
1776
01:29:25,894 --> 01:29:27,195
-I'm gonna cry.
I miss him.
1777
01:29:27,229 --> 01:29:30,032
He's my friend.
1778
01:29:30,065 --> 01:29:33,436
Thank you, Mr. Will...
1779
01:29:33,436 --> 01:29:36,539
for everything.
1780
01:29:36,572 --> 01:29:41,577
*slow synthesizer music
1781
01:30:00,729 --> 01:30:02,465
-[Will VO] Everything
I've done is a build.
1782
01:30:02,465 --> 01:30:03,466
There's
something that I've built,
1783
01:30:03,532 --> 01:30:06,469
one thing on top of the other.
1784
01:30:06,535 --> 01:30:10,739
I love being able to feel
like my life is a continuum.
1785
01:30:10,773 --> 01:30:13,942
That things that maybe felt like
they might have been missteps
1786
01:30:13,976 --> 01:30:15,911
was not at all a misstep.
1787
01:30:15,944 --> 01:30:19,582
***
1788
01:30:19,615 --> 01:30:22,050
-[Michele VO] Will
was an amalgam of all
1789
01:30:22,084 --> 01:30:24,820
of his characters.
1790
01:30:24,887 --> 01:30:28,824
It's almost as though you took
all that clay and you squished
1791
01:30:28,891 --> 01:30:32,495
it back together in a
big multicolored ball,
1792
01:30:32,828 --> 01:30:36,799
you'd have Will with his big
white mustache and his smile and
1793
01:30:36,832 --> 01:30:39,735
his blue eyes.
1794
01:30:39,768 --> 01:30:43,105
His work -- every time
someone discovers it --
1795
01:30:43,138 --> 01:30:48,110
that pure childhood glee
and knowing that there's magic.
1796
01:30:48,143 --> 01:30:51,614
There absolutely is magic.
1797
01:30:51,647 --> 01:30:55,450
***
1798
01:30:55,484 --> 01:30:56,985
-[Will VO] One of the
coolest things about being an
1799
01:30:57,019 --> 01:30:59,354
artist is the thought that you
can create some of these things
1800
01:30:59,421 --> 01:31:03,158
and it can go on and
live way beyond you.
1801
01:31:04,426 --> 01:31:09,532
It's all such an intense web of
human life and human existence.
1802
01:31:10,265 --> 01:31:12,901
[fire crackles]
1803
01:31:14,770 --> 01:31:18,440
[chimes glisten]
1804
01:31:29,451 --> 01:31:34,456
*"Dazed Inn
Daydreams" by Ariel Pink*
133988
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.