1-1 好故事造就成功动画片

Good Story Means Successful Animation¹

 

Zhao Wei: You have produced many famous animation¹ characters. So what elements do you think a successful animated² film should possess?

 

Becky Bristow: Well, the most important element is a good story. The second most important element is telling that good story well in a visual form. As long as you have a well told story and a good idea, if it’s a sad story or happy story or any kind of story, it will be a successful film. It’s just that simple.

 

Zhao: Japanese animated film Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for 2003. As a member of Academy Awards committee, could you tell me the criterion³ for being a winner?

 

Becky Bristow: Again, the same thing. It’s a good story, an imaginative⁴ story, a well told story visually² and something touches the heart. Spirited Away certainly did that. It’s a fantastic film. I think it’s very interesting, and we were very surprised. Because Disney had film in the competition, Dreamwork had a film and all of these studios had films in the competition, but a Japanese film won. So that’s an important message to the US animation business that something they are doing is not right.

 

Zhao: I think a person who could produce animated films catering³ so much to children’s mind must possess a childlike heart. Do you think you are that kind of person?

 

Becky Bristow: I think so, and I think a lot of animators I know are very childlike and innocent, because you have to have that sort of way of looking at things. But a lot of us care about children being given good things to watch. They should be fun, but also children learn something from it. So you need to make it appeal to them, and you also have to look from the angle of the adult and protect them from certain things, but not protect them too much. I think kids know too much today.

 

Zhao: What’s your favorite character of all the characters you have produced?

 

Becky Bristow: Oh, that’s like asking a mother which child is her favorite. I wouldn’t want my mother’s answer. I can only say that any of them is my favorite, 'cause everyone is special in some way.

 

Zhao: What’s the current state of Chinese animation industry? How do you predict the future development of Chinese animation?

 

Becky Bristow: Well, it’s healthy I think. From the end of 1980s, when I first visited China, to about 2 years ago, most of the animations⁶ being done in China were for the west. So I was worried about Chinese animation because I didn’t see any original animation being done. But in the last 2 years, there was a lot going on in Chinese animation. There was a big interest in opening Chinese animation to western appeal, not losing the special of Chinese art in animation, but making understanding what is more appealing to a wider audience of the world.

 

Zhao: Now you are the chair of Department of Digital Arts Design of Beijing University. What advice would you give to the students who want to join in the animation industry? What skills do you think are important to be a successful animator?

 

Becky Bristow: Well, they should know how to draw. That should be a No.1 thing. They should learn how to draw in different ways. When you are sitting on a bus in the traffic in Beijing, look at the people walking and think about what’s the difference between one person and the person next to him. And then sketch⁷⁴ them. You just have to expand your vision of world and fill it into your body and your mind. And you also have to develop ideas and learn the craft⁵. If you work for studio and you are in very low place, talk to everybody, and help as many people as you can. That’s the best advice I can give. But obviously coming to art school will help you a lot.

 

Zhao: So how can we enter your school?

 

Becky Bristow: Well, what we want to see is a lot of drawings. When people hear digital arts, they feel it doesn’t mean drawing, it means some sort of computer. But computer is a tool. You need the basic things that can be put into that tool. The basic things are art and knowledge of art. Some students don’t have film experience at all, they’re really good painters that are interested in moving it to the film. So we access some of them.

 

注释：

1.animation [7Ani5meiFEn] n. 动画片；动画片绘制

2.visually [5vizjuEli] adv. 视觉地；形象化地

3.cater⁵ [5keitE] vi. 投合，迎合

4.sketch [sketF] vt. 画……的素描；画出……的草图

5.craft [cra:ft] n. 工艺；手艺

好故事造就成功动画片

 

赵巍：你制作了许多著名的动画形象，那么你认为一部成功的动画片应该具备哪些要素呢？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：最重要的要素就是一个好故事。其次就是用视觉的形式把这个好故事讲述好。不论是个悲伤的故事，高兴的故事，还是任何一种故事，只要你有一个好故事和好想法，这就会是个成功的动画片。就这么简单。

 

赵：日本动画片《千与千寻》获得了2003年奥斯卡最佳动画片奖。作为奥斯卡奖评审委员会成员，你能说说成为获奖动画的标准吗？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：还是一样的道理。它要是个好故事，富于想像，视觉讲述效果好，而且感人心弦。《千与千寻》当然做到了这些。这是一部绝妙的影片。我认为它很有趣，而且我们非常惊讶。迪斯尼有动画作品参赛，梦工厂有一部作品参赛，所有这些电影制片厂都有作品,但一部日本动画片获胜了。这向美国动画界传达了一个重要信息，那就是他们的制作有些问题。

 

赵：我想，一个能够制作出如此迎合孩子心理的动画片的人，一定有一颗童心。你认为自己是这样的人吗？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：我想是的，而且我想我所认识的很多动画人都非常有童心，非常天真，因为你必须用那种方式看待事物。但是我们当中很多人注重孩子们有好的动画看。这些动画应该有趣，但孩子们也能从中学到东西。所以你需要做出能够吸引他们的东西，你还要从一个大人的角度出发，保护他们不受某些事物侵害，但不要过分保护。我觉得现在的孩子知道的太多了。

 

赵：在你所制作的所有这些形象中，你最喜欢的是哪个？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：哦，这就好像问一个母亲她最喜欢的孩子是哪个。我可不想知道我妈妈的答案。我只能说每个都是我最喜欢的，因为每个都有特别的地方。

 

赵：中国动画产业的现状如何？你怎样预测中国动画未来的发展？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：我认为是健康的。从20世纪80年代末我第一次访问中国，到大约2年前，中国的大多数动画都是为西方制作的。所以我很担心中国的动画，因为我没有看到任何原创的动画作品。但在过去的2年里，中国动画业有了很大进展。人们很希望把中国动画展示给西方业界。这并不是丢掉动画中中国艺术的特点，而是了解什么更能吸引世界上更广泛的观众群。

 

赵：你现在是北京大学数字艺术系的系主任。你对想要进入动画业的学生有哪些建议呢？你认为成为一个成功的动画人，哪些技能是重要的呢？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：他们要有绘画技能，这是第一位的。他们应该学会多种不同的绘画技能。当在北京交通繁忙时，你坐在公交车上,看看路上来往的行人，想想这个行人跟他旁边的那个有什么不同。然后把他们素描下来。你需要扩展视野，融会贯通,充实自己。你同时还要提出创意，学习制作工艺。如果你在画室工作，职位很低，你就要和每个人交谈，尽可能地帮助别人。这是我最好的建议。但很明显，到艺术学校学习能对你大有帮助。

 

赵：那么我们怎样才能进入你的学院学习呢？

 

贝琦·布里斯托：我们要看的就是大量的绘画作品。当人们听到数字艺术时，都会觉得这是一种与计算机有关的东西，而不是绘画。而计算机只是一个工具。你需要可以放进这个工具里的基础东西。这个基础东西就是艺术和艺术知识。一些学生完全没有电影制作经验，他们是非常优秀的画家，而且对把绘画融入电影很感兴趣。因此我们录取一些这样的人。

 

 

1 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

2 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

3 criterion   

n.（批评判断的）标准，准据，规范

参考例句：

• Only social practice can be the criterion of truth.只有社会实践才能是检验真理的唯一标准。
• Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.实践是检验真理的唯一标准。

4 imaginative   

adj.富有想象力的，爱想象的

参考例句：

• The imaginative child made up fairy stories.这个想像力丰富的孩子自己编神话故事。
• Scott was an imaginative writer.司格特是位富于想象力的作家。

5 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

6 animations   

n.生气( animation的名词复数 )；兴奋；动画片；（指电影、录像、电脑游戏的）动画制作

参考例句：

• You'll see your team cheerleaders and mascot performing new animations as well. 你会看到啦啦队队长跟吉祥物也都会有全新的动作。 来自互联网
• Ability to create simple movie and animations using graphic & multimedia software. 能够用平面和多媒体软件制作简单的电影及动画。 来自互联网

7 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。