Eric Goldberg: Back I n Action

Dr. Toon sat down with the animation veteran Eric Goldberg to rap about his experiences on Looney Tunes: Back in Action, as well as the rest of his intimidating rsum.

By

artin Goodman !

onday, "eptember #$, %&&' at #%(&& am

Posted In | Columns: DrToon Eric Goldberg is among todays master animators and animation directors. He began his career with Richard Williams and later animated such memorable characters asAladdins Genie and Philoctetes after moving to Disney. While there, Eric also co directed the film Pocahontas before animating and directing the stunning !Rha"sody #n $lue% and !&arnival of the 'nimals% segments of Fantasia 2000. He is currently the animation director for Warner $ros. u"coming film Looney Tunes: Back In Action Dr. Toon: Eric, how is "ost "roduction going on Looney Tunes: Back In Action( Eric Goldberg: !ell" #ere still in P$%&duction as o''osed to 'ost&'roduction( !ere still animatin) *uriously" +ut its )oin) #ell Like all mo,ies o* this nature that are e-'ensi,e and di**icult to make +ecause o* the li,e&action.animation com+ination" there are many chan)es that are still )oin) on" all the #ay throu)h 'roduction /o #e ha,e to +e *le-i+le in terms o* 0 12h" oh" that line o* dialo)ue chan)ed(3 I *eel kind o* like Im a #aiter #ho takes 'eo'les its )oin) to sur'rise 'eo'le that it has the Looney Tunes s'irit Dr.T: )oe Dante said that one of the challenges was that hes got human characters that are si* feet tall and animated characters that are three feet tall. What ty"e of challenge did that "resent to you and your team( EG: Thats actually a hu)e challen)e The other *actor in that is that #e,e )ot a Pana,ision screen *rame as #ell /o" aside *rom the *act that you,e )ot si- *eet and three *eet" i* you cut Brendan Fraser o** at the knees" youre cuttin) Bu)s and Da**y 4ust under the chest 0 or 4ust under the head 0 so #e ha,e to +e a+le to com'ose these thin)s to +e a+le to #ork !e do take cheats once
Goldberg is feverishly finishing up wor, on -ooney Tunes( Bac, in +ction. ) .arner Bros. Eric Goldberg. ) Disney Enterprises, *nc. +ll rights reserved.

*ood a#ay +e*ore theyre done eatin) it" +ut I ha,e to say I,e )ot a )reat cre# and they really do +eauti*ul #ork I think

in a #hile" 4ust to make it look as i* e,ery+odys in the same *rame *or that *ormat" +ut it is tou)h %+,iously" you ha,e to look a*ter eye lines" you ha,e to look a*ter si5e relationshi's and make sure theyre consistent *rom scene to scene" +ut +y the same token" Im not a+o,e cheatin) *or the com'osition o* the scene to look ri)ht #ithin the screen *ormat The method has +een" on this sho#" that #e actually 'osed out the entire mo,ie +e*ore it )ot to the animators I used the !acom Cinti6 ta+let7 I can dra# 'oses o* the characters and the editors can su'erim'ose them o,er the li,e action so #e can see immediately ho# the scene is )oin) to 'lay 8,ery+ody started dissectin) all these 'oses as to #hether they #ere ri)ht or #ron) on the *irst *e# se6uences that #e did But then" #hen the animation came in" they )ot it They could see that Bu)s and Da**y really #ere in that scene" actin) and reactin)" and so thin)s )ot more com*orta+le Its )i,en me and the animators here more license to 'ut in some e-tra +its Little actin) choices" little timin) choices" some nuances that e,eryones +een ,ery 'leased #ith !e could also thro# in some secondary )a)s that #erent necessarily in the 'oses !hich is all to the )ood" +ecause I think the animators came u' #ith some )reat ideas" and they all ha,e #ays o* reali5in) somethin) thats +eyond #hat an initial 'ose dra#in) #ould +e And that 0 thats #hats )oin) to make it all #ork Dr.T: What have been some of the other challenges in wor+ing on this feature(

Goldberg hopes to channel inspiration from friend /huc, 0ones.

EG: Aside *rom the technical challen)es" o* #hich there are many" my +i))est aim is to 'resent these characters the #ay 'eo'le ha,e lo,ed them *or years Its actually ,ery" ,ery im'ortant to me I #as *riends #ith Chuck 9ones" I kno# this stu** +ack#ards and *or#ards in terms o* all the cartoons" the history and its ,ery im'ortant to me that *eels like a ,ooney -unes mo,ie that satis*ies ,ooney -unes *ans That Bu)s and Da**y are #ho Bu)s and Da**y are 0 not necessarily 4ust dra#n #ell" +ut that they act the ri)ht #ay" that they say the ri)ht thin)s" that they mo,e the ri)ht #ay That their moti,ations are clear It sounds ,ery hi)h&*alutin" +ut i* youre )oin) to ha,e these characters sustain a :0& minute mo,ie" you,e )ot to treat them as thou)h theyre real characters" and you ha,e to +e true to #ho they are Because the audience #ill smell it a mile a#ay i* theyre not I kee' *eelin) like Chuck is lookin) do#n sayin)" 1%;" youd +etter do this one ri)ht(3 Dr.T: #ts been a "retty long road leading u" to your "osition as animation director for the Looney Tunes movie. .irst there was a sto" at /niversal where you were toying with the directors 0ob for the !here the !ild Thin)s 're "ro0ect. How e*actly did you go from wor+ing on that film to this one( EG: I #as on Where the Wild -hings 're *or a year I #as de,elo'in) it #ith some ,ery talented 'eo'le !e had Brenda Cha'man" /ue <ichols" 9enni*er ;lein" all as my story cre# !e had Da,e $eynolds as the #riter 0 a 'retty darned )ood cre#" and I actually think #e had a take on the mo,ie that 'ro+a+ly #ould ha,e #orked I think the 'artici'ants 0 Tom =anks" >aurice /endak and their associated 'roducers 0 *elt it #as such an im'ortant mo,ie that they ne,er could 6uite come to terms #ith e-actly #hat they #anted the mo,ie to +e /o" #hen the ,ooney -uneso''ortunity came u'" it #as around the same time that 2ni,ersal decided to either )o ahead 0 or not )o ahead 0 and so it seemed to do,etail that #ay I dont +ear any+ody on Wild -hings any ill #ill In >aurice /endaks case" I can a+solutely understand This is his 4e#el in the cro#n" his +a+y" and he #ants to see it done ri)ht I* #ere not )ettin) #hats in his head" then so +e it !hoe,er #inds u' doin) the *ilm" its al#ays )oin) to +e a ma4or undertakin) #hen you take a ?@&'a)e childrens +ook and turn it into a :0&minute mo,ie As *ar as endin) u' on the ,ooney -unes mo,ie" Allison A++ate" the animation 'roducer" )a,e me a call /he said" 1!ould you +e interested in comin) o,er and doin) some consultin)A3 /o I started doin) some consultin) 0 and more consultin) 0 and more consultin) and then it +ecame 'ermanent The *irst sto' #as to +rin) me in and ha,e me meet 9oe Dante and the other 'roducers" Bernie Boldmann" Chris DeFaria and Larry Doyle 0 at the time Paula !einstein #as not on yet 0 and make sure they #ere com*orta+le #ith #hat I kne# a+out the characters That #ent ,ery #ell" and then #e continued *rom there Dr.T: )oe Dante has always struc+ me as a frustrated cartoon director. He showed his true colors as far bac+ as the !cartoonland% se1uence in the T#ili)ht Cone movie. EG: I lo,e #orkin) #ith 9oe First o* all" I kne# +e*ore I e,en )ot to this 'ro4ect that he #as the ri)ht choice *or it +ecause he kno#s so much a+out the animation medium and a+out !arners cartoons in 'articular =es )ot so much *ilm kno#led)e at his *in)erti's any#ay But he has such a hu)e res'ect and understandin) o* animation 0 'articularly classical animation 0 that makes him the ri)ht choice *or this *ilm And yes" he has a sli)htly ed)y I 'ut it ho# shall
-ooney Tunes( Bac, in +ction director 0oe Dante has wor,ed with toons in both Twilight 1one( The ovie and "mall "oldiers. ) #223 Dream.or,s --/ and 4niversal 5ictures. 5hoto( Bruce Talmon.

Theres certainly cartoonish elements in many o* his *ilms

8,en i* he didnt kno# all the 9ones and Clam'ett lore" hed still +e the ri)ht )uy *or this It #as kind o* a match made in hea,en7 hes )i,en me a lot o* latitude and a lot o* trust in +ein) a+le to +rin) the

characters ali,e By the same token" hes the director and i* he *eels theres somethin) #e need to chan)e" #e try and accommodate that I #ould say that :DE o* the time #ere on the same #a,elen)th and thats made it a ,ery *un 'ro4ect 9oes a ,ery )racious )uy in terms o* acce'tin) in'ut *rom a lot o* sides as lon) as it makes it +etter and *unnier Dr.T: Eric, many critics and reviewers, when they saw the film Aladdin, li+ened your characteri2ation of the Genie as being more along the lines of the Warners, rather than Disney, ty"e of humor. Have the Warners cartoons really been that big an influence on your wor+(

EG: !ithout 6uestion I think all the years I #as at Disney" I think that e,ery+ody *elt I had more o* a !arners +ent to me" #hich #as somethin) that I kind o* +rou)ht to Disney 4ust to make the humor a little 5i''ier !ith the Benie" he #as so mercurial 0 he had to chan)e characteri5ations and attitudes so 6uickly 0 that I #ould )o strai)ht to !arners 1smear dra#in)s3 and all the other tricks o* the trade in order to make those 6uick transitions 9ust 'hiloso'hically" I al#ays *elt that !arners animation #as much +etter suited to comedy than Disney animation Because its shar'er Because its more distincti,e It tele)ra'hs an idea in a 'ose in a much more 1)etta+le3 #ay than the more *lorid animation in most Disney *eatures Dr.T: -he "oses. -hats where your friend &huc+ )ones was such a master. EG: A+solutely %* all the !arners directors that in*luenced me" he #as the one that in*luenced me the most I #as lucky enou)h to kno# ;en =arris as #ell #hen I #as at $ichard !illiams studio *rom ?:DD to ?:F? =e #as there *or a cou'le o* years #orkin) on -he -hief and the &obbler Althou)h" at the time" he #as kind o* an unassumin)" sel*&e**acin) )uy 0 1%h" hell I cant dra#( Dick al#ays does e,erythin) *or me(3 0 =e #as F0 years old and he could turn out G0 *eet a #eek And it #as all )reat( <o#" he couldnt e-'lain it" +ut Dick could I asked" 1Dick" ho# does he do thatA3 And Dick said" 1!ell" hes a master o* the charts 3 =e sho#ed me that ;en #ould 'lan one key here" one key here and the +reakdo#n #ould +e aske# Then he #ould 'ut a chart on it and you #ould )et automatic o,erla' #hen you 'ut the in+et#eens in I thou)ht" 1%h my )od(3 Its like a li)ht came on 0 thats ho# these )uys at !arners )ot throu)h all that *oota)e and it still looked )reat Its the kind o* thin) #here it #as a hu)e in*luence on the #ay I a''roached animation +ecause I al#ays liked sna''y timin)" I al#ays liked the s'irit o* the *orties and *i*ties *ilms and I didnt 6uite kno# ho# they )ot there until Dick analy5ed it *or me Then I #ould study it more and more" the more I #anted to learn I think #hen I #as a kid" a+out ?H years old" I #ould start to notice #hat the directorial styles #ere" and one thin) that really im'ressed me #as the ones I lau)hed at the most" #hich #ere Chuck 9ones cartoons The ones that could kill you #ith 4ust an eye+ro# raised or the Coyotes ear *lo''in) do#n !hy #as it *unnierA I reali5ed that one o* the *e# com'onents that *e# animated *ilms ha,e is #it It #as a 'er*ect ,isuali5ation o* #it Its a certain cons'iracy #ith the audience The characters that Chuck #ould dra#" they kne# they #ere +ein) humiliated" you kne# they #ere +ein) humiliated and they #ould cons'ire #ith the audience *or that humiliatin) moment( And that takes it to a com'letely di**erent le,el Theres a lot o* thin)s I like a+out the other !arners directors I lo,e Frelen)s timin)" I lo,e Clam'etts #ildness" I lo,e the A,ery s'irit that su**used all o* them +e*ore all the other directors matured But" I think out o* all o* them" Chuck in*luenced me the most +ecause o* that sheer economy and #it in his #ork Dr.T: Well then, lets su""ose you could have been wor+ing at Warner $ros. during the Golden 'ge of ,ooney -unes, shoulder to shoulder with &huc+ and $ob &lam"ett and -e* 'very. Which characters would you have loved to have animated or directed bac+ then( EG: %h +oy
Goldberg hopes to help bring 6ichard .illiams7 The Thief and the /obbler bac, in the version it was meant to be seen in.

lots o* them" +ut my *a,orite is still Bu)s Bunny I 4ust think hes the )reatest animated character in history

%* all the !arners characters" hes one o* the *e# #ho is actually a heroic character instead o* 4ust a character #hose *oi+les #e reco)ni5e =e li,es +y his #its =es not +i) enou)h to li,e +y his +ra#n" so he has to li,e +y his smarts Thats a ,ery a''ealin) characteristic =es a ,ery ele)ant character7 i* you handle him the #ron) #ay" then he +ecomes )rotes6ue" i* you kno# #hat I mean I think that in his +est moments" hes a ,ery re*ined character That doesnt mean he #ont +reak out and do somethin) #ild once in a #hile It does mean that hes a character +est under'layed than o,er'layed I think thats really his stren)th +ecause that sho#s ho# much control he has o,er any situation hes in And he makes me lau)h( I lo,e Da**y too and I lo,e all the other characters I also ha,e a +i) a**inity *or !ile 8 Coyote" *or that matter =e has a cou'le o* really )ood moments in the mo,ie" too

Dr.T: # remember you saying that you considered the Genie inAladdin your most satisfying achievement. 'fter those terrific se1uences in Fantasia.2000 I 1&arnival of the 'nimals% and !Rha"sody in $lue% 3 is that still your o"inion( EG: Thats a tou)h 6uestion As a director" I am 'roudest o* 1$ha'sody in Blue 3 As an animator" Im 'ro+a+ly 'roudest o* the Benie Its like +ein) 'arent to t#o di**erent thin)s As an animator" Im 'roud o* 1Carni,al o* the Animals"3 too Its interestin) that you 'ick those three thin)s" +ecause there #as a lot o* stu** in +et#een" +ut I #ould ha,e to say that the Benie and the .antasia se6uences #ere certainly the Disney career hi)hli)hts *or me In many #ays 1$ha'sody3 #as a dream 'ro4ect that *inally )ot reali5ed7 Id #anted to make it *or se,en years EG cont'd: 1Carni,al3 #as a chance to animate a se6uence all the #ay throu)h *rom start to *inish And o* course" I )ot to colla+orate #ith my *a,orite art director" /usan" #ho ha''ens to li,e under the same roo* They #ere +oth ,ery satis*yin) 1$ha'sody3 #as ,ery 'ersonal in terms o* a lot o* the ideas in it and the characteri5ations" and the Benie" #ell" the Benie is #hat 'ut me on the ma' in this country +ecause I had +een in London *or so lon) doin) commercials I think Ill al#ays ha,e a so*t s'ot *or the Benie" +ecause he #as so #armly recei,ed +y e,ery+ody #hen the *ilm came out Id say that the three o* those 'ro4ects run a 'retty close e6ual Dr.T: 4ne "ro0ect that must have been a disa""ointment to you was the never "roduced $o)er $a++it se1uel. # understand that you were slated to be to be the animation director and that you had even redesigned Roger for the film. EG: Thats correct I streamlined him a little +it so that he #ould look e,en more like a JH0s character I *elt in the ori)inal ,ersion 0 e,en thou)h that #as )reat 0 he still had a little too much *ur on him" a little too much detail to actually *eel like he #as really *rom that era !hat I did #asnt a hu)e amount7 he #as still a+solutely $o)er to e,ery+ody #ho sa# him !ed actually done a CB test #ith $o)er 0 #ell" #e did t#o ,ersions !e did one that #as traditionally hand&dra#n #ith the tone mattes and the #hole nine
Goldberg and company helped bring toons bac, with 6oger and company. +ll .ho 8ramed 6oger 6abbit images( ) Buena =ista >ome Entertainment, *nc. +ll rights reserved. 8antasia9%&&&7s :6hapsody in Blue; will be one of many highpoints in Goldberg7s ama<ing career. ) Disney Enterprises, *nc.

yards" and #e did one #ith the same animation translated to a CB model o* $o)er And the CB model #orked ,ery" ,ery #ell Better than most 'eo'le #ould e-'ect it to #ork +ecause it had all the s6uash" stretch and o,erla' that you #ould associate #ith the character Thats #hy I #anted to try it 0 i* you can do that in CB" you can do anythin) in CB It isnt im'ossi+le to )et that kind o* animation in the GD medium Its harder and re6uires a lot more modelin)" +ut you can do it As *ar as the actualRoger Rabbit 'ro4ect itsel* is concerned" yes" I #ould ha,e en4oyed doin) that Its a shame that didnt )o *or#ard *or a ,ariety o* reasons" +ut hey" Im #orkin) #ith Bu)s and Da**y no#( Dr.T: 5ou once had your own commercial studio in ,ondon, Pi2a22 Pictures. Have you ever considered o"ening another studio in the future( EG: %nce in a #hile" #e toy #ith the idea K>y #i*eL /usan and I ha,e incor'orated as Cartoons In The Basement Inc Its really 4ust the t#o o* us +ut i* somethin) lar)er #ould come alon)" I think #hat #e #ould do is +uild u' the studio *or the 'ur'oses o* makin) a 'articular mo,ie and then colla'se #hen the mo,ie #as done rather than maintainin) a studio that continues to

+nimated love story( Eric and "usan Goldberg. /ourtesy of Disney 5ictures. ) Disney Enterprises, *nc.

sel*&)enerate material The +i))est 'ro+lem ri)ht no# in animated *ilm 'roduction is that the o,erheads are killin) e,ery+ody !e ha,e to *ind a #ay to 'roduce these *ilms more chea'ly and 'art o* it is not ha,in) a +i) darned +uildin) and a hu)e sta** to maintain /o i* you do it 'urely *or the time o* 'roduction needed" I think thats a ,ia+le #ay to )o ;ind o* like the old cotta)e industry used to +e 0 like .erngully" *or e-am'le I dont think theres anythin) #ron) #ith that7 Bod kno#s theres 'lenty o* talent around =olly#ood that could do that kind o* stu** !hether Id )o +ack into commercials a)ain I dont think so I did many years in commercials and they #ere a )reat trainin) )round in lots o* #ays" +ut its too hand&to&mouth *or me !e had a 1success*ul3 com'any in London" +ut #ed still look u' at the +oards and say" 1!hat are #e doin) in three monthsA3 And #e #ere still in the 'osition o* ha,in) to say 1yes3 to e,ery 4o+ and ho'e that enou)h o* them #ould *all a#ay so that #ed still +e a+le to 'roduce the ones that #ere le*t Dr.T: # "ic+ed u" in another interview that you were interested in "ursuing some "ersonal "ro0ects of your own, li+e an animated musical based on the life of... Dr. )onas 6al+( Were you serious or "ulling some "oor 0ournalists leg( EG: Com'letely 'ullin) 'eo'les le)s( Cant you 4ust see dancin) 'olio needles( Itd +e )reat( Mou kno#" the little su)ar cu+es #ith the 'ink medicine on to'( Itd +e really )ood( Dr.T: 5ou could throw in a show sto""er musical number where they throw the crutches aside... EG: I think >el Brooks is listenin) Dr.T: God, # ho"e so7 EG: There are 'ersonal 'ro4ects I #ould like to do I #ont )o into #hat they are7 I think therere a lot o* thin)s #e can do #ith this medium that #e ha,ent e,en scratched the sur*ace o*" in terms o* comedy" in terms o* techni6ue and in terms o* style There are all sorts o* interestin) directions in #hich you can take animation that arent necessarily sou)ht a*ter in the commercial market'lace that I think could o'en a *e# eyes The )reat thin) a+out #orkin) in tele,ision commercials *or so many years is that I really learned to ada't )ra'hically to the needs o* any 'articular 'ro4ect /o" i* #e had to do *ashion dra#in)s one #eek" %;" it #as *ashion dra#in)s I* #e had to do #oodcuts" %;" #ere doin) #oodcuts I* #e had to do -om and )erry" %;" #ere doin) -om and )erry I still lo,e that a+out the medium I )i,e $ichard !illiams a lot o* credit *or that" +ecause he #as really the one in London #ho 'ushed that notion *or#ard more than any+ody else =e had that 1!hate,er #ill stick on a cel3 kind o* attitude =e #ould use any medium in order to achie,e any e**ect" #hether it #as su''osed to look like oil 'aintin)" charcoal dra#in)s" #hate,er I think a lot o* 'eo'le consider that you can do di**erent styles" +ut sometimes the animation su**ers" like" 1%;" i* I ha,e to make it look like this" then thats really com'licated to dra#3 0 Dick #as ne,er like that Dick #as al#ays sayin) that it had to +e )reat animation" too !e,e )ot a se6uence in this ,ooney -unes *ilm #here 8lmer is chasin) Bu)s and Da**y throu)h the Lou,re museum and e,ery
Goldberg7s Genie ?along with some help from 6obin .illiams@ stole the show in +laddin. /ourtesy of Disney 5ictures. ) Disney Enterprises, *nc.

time they 4um' into one o* the 'aintin)s" they +ecome the style o* the 'aintin) They +ecome Dali" they +ecome Toulouse Lautrec" they +ecome >unch !hen 'eo'le see the *inal se6uence" I think theyll +e ,ery 'leased #ith it /tylistically" #ere matchin) these thin)s in a #ay that you #ouldnt e-'ect Thats one o* the com'ellin) thin)s a+out this medium Mou really can )o in di**erent directions and still make it entertainin) Dr.T: What would $ugs $unny have to say if # were to as+ him what it was li+e wor+ing with you on this "icture( EG: K*la#less Bu)s Bunny imitationL 1<yah" lessee hes a control *reak( =e tinks he kno#s e,erythin)" holy Ba#d(3 Any#ay" I #ould ho'e he really en4oyed the #orkin) e-'erience Its certainly one Id like to re'eat #ith him 8artin !Dr. -oon% Goodman is a longtime student and fan of animation. He lives in 'nderson, #ndiana.