Ralph Bakshi: Surviving In Tough Times
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- Legendary animation director, Ralph Bakshi discusses how he survived the collapse of theatrical animation and offers tips to current animators for how to succeed in the cartoon business. ( Animation Resources / www.animationresources.org / San Diego Comic-Con 2008 )
Everyone criticized the quality of bakshi's films, but he succeeded in doing what a lot of independent filmmakers starting out are bad at. FINISHING STUFF. Sure, he wasn't able to finish last days of coney island, but he was able to make a large number of independent animated films throughout his Carrier, regardless of quality. Dont spend thirty years making a high quality animated film with the risk of it being a failure as a finished product. A living dog is better than a dead lion.
Some of the most inspiring shit I've ever seen.
Thanks for that.
12 years later and you're playing video games for a living lmao how'd that turn out for you
@@blat9024 take it easy Blat
"But you guys are sitting around crying and I got no respect for you"
I love how STREET the guy is.
Listening to him always makes me pace up and down my room, thinking about how I'm wasting my life and what I can do next.
Nothing to it but to do it. I love Disney's films and have learned a lot from them, but I've never had any interest whatsoever in animating characters that someone else has made.
Exactly! !!
Amen
Ralph Bakshi is one of the most unique animators, he was way ahead of his time - taking existing technology such as stroboscopic and rotoscoping effects and innovating animation so that he could bring out full length feature cartoons at only a fraction of the cost. He would have flourished at Flash animation if he was born a few decades later would probably have dominated it. John Kricfalusi is another such innovator, having been one of the first people to take Flash animation seriously and having a distinct style to all of his animations.
Well said about Ralph AND John! :)
He would never use flash cuz he isn't that lame.
@@MrParkerman6 I guess Masaaki Yuasa is lame then.
MrParkerman6 he said in an interview he would
I love Ralph bakshi he doesn't care what studios think of his works
This is a super talk. Should be required viewing for all animators and students of animation. I haven't always agreed with Ralph's own artistic choices , but the guy is the real thing. He's followed his own way and he is a legend. Everything he says about how computer software has actually made it possible for independent animation to be financially viable nowadays is TRUE. Instead of sitting around crying about "the industry" animators should recreate the industry in their own image.
I love Ralph. He's like your dad telling you to stop crying and get to work....right after he smacks you. Love it also how he calls all the yuppies out indirectly. Ralph is a dying breed of a working class guy who's willing to believe in himself.
"Lethargic, uninspired, terrified . . ."
This guy could be my biographer.
This video inspired us start an animation studio. Thank you!
That's great man. Best of luck
Update us!
@@danpaladin_lovesyou OH MY GOD IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS.
A lot has happened! This is David replying, the co-owner of Theory.
It took about 2-3 years of making TH-cam short films and reaching out to everyone I could find before the studio landed it's first gig. To be clear: no money making in this period (we were late to the YT animation ad revenue train). But that's ok, because with enough outreach and pounding the pavement we landed the first gigs! Fast paced commercials, terrible music videos, a lot of things we'd never put on a demo reel haha.
Around the 3-4 year mark we hooked up with an incredible young company, BarnstormVFX, in the TV VFX world and began a journey together working on photo-real CGI animation. Very different from our cartoony animation background but we loved every bit of it. We got very lucky and snagged two Visual Effects Society nominations AND an Emmy nomination! Very proud moments :)
We decided TV VFX wasn't for us, we missed the cartoonier aspect of things. This led to collaborating with Disney Imagineering on a themepark animation (sadly the project was killed, but it was awesome!), Chuck E Cheese (th-cam.com/video/BmigYSQMtBI/w-d-xo.html), a company that wanted to make kids healthy eating cartoons & apps (th-cam.com/video/FGP7ko1zFuk/w-d-xo.html) and even Sesame Street (th-cam.com/video/JljlTFLX9g0/w-d-xo.html).
It's interesting, COVID19 unfortunately met we had to downsize (at peek we had 15 employees), but we're still moving forward! We just started a game company making a VR cartoony shooter: www.bravelunch.com/blobkin-blaster
*whew*
Lessons if anyone else wants to start a studio:
• Read business and marketing books! It's important, SUPER important (E-Myth, Made to Stick, 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing come to mind)
• Read leadership and management books! Helpful for working in teams (How to Win Friends and Influence People, Principles of Life and Work)
• Conferences, cold-emails, and being generally friendly in front of people are how we won all of our work
• Don't trade "good enough" in for money. Find a way to trade "GREAT!" in for money and some prestige if you can do it, as each one raises your bar and your caliber among competition.
• It's ok to fail, and to make mistakes, and to hit walls. Books and video lectures are no substitute for hard knock life lessons that stick with you forever. Get up and tell yourself tomorrow is a new day
• Learn accounting and know what cash flow is. Always have enough money to pay your people, or be up front as soon as possible so your team knows what is going on (we've had client go bankrupt or stiff us for money, ouch!)
• Just keep swimming. A mantra I use til this day even among the COVID-19 chaos.
Animation has changed so much in the years since Ralph made his comments. I even got to interview him on the phone and have some great conversations, he's got an incredible mind. It's funny how his thoughts years ago are shaping animation to this day. Heck, almost every studio I know out there is now working out of a box, remotely! So it's definitely possible.
I recently read Bob Iger's (former Disney CEO) book on business, it's incredible, especially the last chapter. One of my favorite lines resonates so much, and I think will be a good piece of advice to end on (for now!):
If it doesn't look right to you, it most likely isn't right FOR you.
Thank you for asking :)
Disney is to animation as Google is to the internet.
They've grown too big for their own good.
+HawaiiKnut "Don't look evil."
one of the companies killed more people and blacklisted people who were trying to do better
I absolutely agree with you.
Nelvana Studios was a contender with their own aesthetics, as you can see from their works all throughout the 1970s leading up to RocknRule which, unfortunately, proved to be their Waterloo, they couldn't stand together, like say, Gainax Studios, who started out as scifi fans.
I have Rock and Rule on DVD. Trippy, but cool.
Anyone want a beer?
That's the trouble with such unconventional films. Sometimes they're big hits, and other time they bomb, even if they're not bad.
Bakshi makes a very valuable point to anyone into animation, film and any other video art. I mean, I really enjoy Disney, but hey... you want to reach high peaks in film? What's stopping you? Gather some friends, toss around some creative ideas, get animators, proper editing software, and distribute it to companies, or sell it on eBay.
Ralph Bakshi, you are such an inspiration to society, sadly his studio is closed, from what I recently heard.
I'm not even an animator and I found this inspiring. Every artist be it music, visual, story writers should watch this video.
This guy is my hero. Thank you SO much for posting this. He's saying a lot of things I've been saying to my fellow animators all these years, and I can admit I'm guilty of not getting off my ass and doing my own thing. I'm passing this around to every animator I know.
More people need to watch this video.
Leave the 'establishment ', i.e. Disney Studios, and start forming a coalition of united animators and artists.
The same applies to those making live action film. You don't need major movie studio to make a film anymore.
Someday I hope Ralph is formally recognized for the passion, creative and absolutely fearless artist he really is. Say what you want about his work, and indeed much can be said both positive and negative, he always approached the medium of animation from the perspective of not what it should do, but rather what it can do. His storytelling, though indeed sometimes crass and uncomfortable, none the less carries an honesty and forwardness that at first seems simple and shallow but quickly reveals layers upon layers of nuance and subtly. His characters are rarely outright heroes or straight villains, but rather just people. Complex, complicated, contradictory, and for lack of a better term, real. Every one one of his works shows a world through his eyes and while the view is rarely flattering, it's also rarely as untrue as we'd like to tell ourselves.
It gets diluted sometimes in this age where "adult animation" is now more common and accepted and so many ape the surface details of what he did without understand what was under or behind it. "Shocking" for the sake of shock as it were. But while contemporaries of his that attempted similar things have faded to obscurity as cult curiosities (Rock and Rule, Dirty Duck) or require some level of nostalgia blinders to forgive them not aging particularly well (Heavy Metal, Starchaser), and imitators may keep trying copy the style and look while missing the intent, seeing a Bakshi film is like finding a time capsule or hidden treasure. Whatever it is it will fascinate you, draw and capture your attention, leaving you wondering what the hell you just saw but unable to stop thinking about it.
And it's hard not to at least respect an artist like that.
Love this man. Love the DIY yourself attitude. He's right. If you're an artist. Make art. Don't sit around waiting for big opportunity. Just go do it.
"we are the strange" was a perfect example of what bakshi was talking about. made with 20,000 dollars but it still was cool.
I was in the audience that day! This talk by Bakshi is historic. One for the ages. Thanks for posting it here Stephen!
I have no idea who this guy is, nor do I have any interest in animation, but this speech applies to almost any industry these days. Complete genius. It's an instant kick in the ass.
"It's not crumbling, YOU'RE crumbling!"
This guy deserves way more attention and respect!!!! What he's saying isn’t just the case for the animation industry, but the same for all industries. More people need to come together and beat the system that's shutting you out and has little respect for you even if you get in!
Personally i really hear Bakshi's words. Im sick and tired of doing work for clients. Yes been a means of paying bills but i didnt start animating on my own then several years of school to waist my talent and energy hashing out people crack pipe ideas. People that dont even take the time of day to properly flesh out there idea's, or find myself often Fleshing out the clients ideas because the agency was too lazy to do there end of the work.
This has a message to inspire all cartoonists.
We have these machines that can make cartoons without killing the land and if you have ideas you can learn to animate by yourself and do movies with your buddies!
DO IT! Don't be jerked around by conglomerates, If you have an idea, do it yourself.
I love this guy! My parents are always on my case about having an art degree and not having an art job. They don't realize I just wanna do my own thing. Screw not being paid six figures to do it. I'd rather starve and be free than sell my soul to a company. I've met too many graphic designers who've regretted that decision.
i like how he is 100% no bullshit hes like dude stop crying just do it
He was wrong though. Now days you can be independent and spend ten years making a masterpiece, and if youre not connected to hollywood or not doing things in a textbook way, youre never getting picked up. Thats why he prefaces with being a corny guy. His idea is charming and sounds right, but it doesn't reflect the reality, which is why he talks about disney being shit.
@@garfoonga1 you're kind of right, something that i have seen in this years is that you need connections with people to get into hollywood, but at the same time theres people making independant cartoon like spaceking and smiling friends or indie animators opening patreons getting a lot of success with their projects, of course you can make a masterpiece and noone will know...unless you do ads, i still agree with you at some degree but in all these year i notice that you dont need hollywood to make it big exactly but if you want to make it into hollywood you may need connecttions or huge popularity with people on the internet like smling friends.
I saw this video about a year ago. I've probably watched it over 100 times since then. I started a business earlier this year, and I'm trying to get it going while working full time. It's hard work, but it has always been hard to live up to your potential.
I don't work in animation, or know much about the business, but you don't have to to be motivated by this.
Thanks Ralph.
Absolutely agree, As animators we all (or most of us) did start because of the Love of animation Not particularily because we wanted to work at a particular studio. We did it for Fun , a hobby that eventually turned into a career. Schools opened a much larger door for the possibility of working at a studio but Much of our original goals were to create our own films. OUR own films not mearly doing the work for others.
he is 100% right as a cartoonist myself I have a computer which saves me alot of
time but If you have a team of people.
there no stopping you... you may never
be as big as Disney,Pixar but
your impact will still be huge force.
This is truthful, inspiring, encouraging and timeless.
I have to admit, Bakshi inspires me, I had given up my dream to create my own comic because i didn't have the money and resources that Marvel and DC said I need. Screw them, "where's my sketchbook?"
This is the video that got me into making flash cartoons. I found out that superjail is all being done on flash, in some rented out office with a few people. Its true, we all can get into our own little groups, slap a stupid company name and just work for ourselves. My animation is complete shite. But i'm doing it, Ralph
I always looked up to the likes of Walt Disney, believing that if you follow literally every direction he did, you’d get a chance at finding your own success. But after learning about Bakshi and this very inspiring video, I think I’ve found a new role model when it comes to entertainment.
LOVE how Ralph BLASTS the artists in the audience saying I'VE GOT NO RESPECT FOR YOU!!" This film should be required viewing for any animator, illustrator cartoonist,caricature artist, WHATEVER. Calling for artists to take their careers into their OWN HANDS and sue the technology available. It seems a no trainer what he's saying and yet so many dont DO THIS. And THEN have the never to criticize HIS work.
Preach Ralph, PREACH!
Whenever I mention perusing animation to my family, I always get spat in the face. My father feels inclined to ask me on a daily basis what career I'm specifically trying to pursue.
EVERY time, I say "Animation". Then he goes a "starving artist" rant, because all he can ever seem to picture is me being a hobo-istic beatnick with dark glasses and a beret.
I just don't see why it's so hard to understand. It's all about jobs and money, and never the work I make.
I needed that so much right now. Thanks Ralph-super inspirational stuff.
His message applies to more than just animators. People in any artistic industry could take this advice.
i love Bakshis work and i feel kinda bad for him, after all the trouble he had with the studio and everything. at the time, people loved his work. now, its not well known. in 2006, he said that if he could finish LOTR, he would. i know its just a dream and wont happen, but i would love to see him finish the trilogy.
Ralph is the man! They don't make animators like that anymore.
found this video right when i needed it, thanks Ralph...
Thanks Stephen. Been watching this video for years. Didn't realize that you were the owner. This video inspired me more than any other. Thanks 👍 Ralph. I finally developed the necessary skills to make a film that reflects me. I still have a little ways to go but, I'm getting there. Never cared about the being rich part but, the independence of expressing yourself as you see fit regardless of what anyone thinks. To be authentic without fear. I will take that philosophy to the grave.
thanks!
We need more guys in animation like this.
This video aged like fine wine.
I was so glad to see this clip, since I was about six ralph was an inspiration (yeah I know). I always wanted to be the next guy to carry on what Ralph had done and inspired so many people that see's what art really is...expression. My hat off to you Ralph, your the man. And thanks for posting this .
CGI is something to be reserved for video games 9.5/10 of the time. Bring back puppets, stop-motion, and handrawn animation or in bakshi's case rotoscoping. Those are much better. After all the contributions they made they deserve to have a happy life at least if they can't work.
one good piece that follows Bakshi's example is Makoto Shinkai's Voices of a Distant Star... HE ANIMATED THE WHOLE THING BY HIMSELF and with only help from his wife as voice actress, it was a sucess
i hope to follow his example indeed
I fully agree with Ralph Bakshi about the current studios. I love the classic Disney cartoons from the 1920's to the 1960's but I never wanted to be an animator at Disney. When I was 12 I dreamed of my own series on Cartoon Network, but this was back in 2002 when the good cartoons were still on. With what's currently happening at CN I would never want to work for them. Nickelodeon too. I'm an animation student at SVA and I find this video very inspiring.
This man is my hero I really hope someday I can be a successful indie animator like him. Or at least get my start at a big studio, save up money, then start my own studio or something.
It's nice to dream.
If Ralph was at a meeting today with the technology we have he would be unstoppable
It's a FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMILY picture!!!!!!!!!!
You lazy asshole!!!!
Hi Ralph!
I don't know if you'll ever see this comment, but I love you. Damn, you're right! Thanks for inspiring me again. Right on the money. This is probably the most exciting time for animation because of the software available to us now. I've been using the Wacom Cintiq to do storyboard work, and I'm amazed at the possibilities independent artists could excercise.I'm glad to see you're still doing animation. Thanks for giving me my start in the industry.
the best life advice for a creative individual I've ever heard
Incredible words from a mastermind! I couldn't agree more with every point he made here and have given speeches much like this myself in an attempt to get people to see what opportunity there is today for animators with real talent. I'm in a different field of animation - stop motion animation, but the lesson he Mr. Bakshi shouts out here cuts across the whole industry for independent film... very inspiring1
Possibly one of the greatest minds in animation. What Ralph says is extremly inspiring!
@Panzeux No, when Bakshi was doing his rotoscoping stuff, the industry was already ruined thanks to Filmation and the decline of Hanna-Barbera. He certainly did not mess up the industry, but he did play a large part in making it great again for a short period in the '90s when he produced Mighty Mouse, and gave John K the jump start that would allow him to open the door for other creative cartoonists with vision who actually had a passion for the medium. So show some damn respect.
I can't stand listening to the way Ralph speaks; but there is no denying his talent and genius!!!!
+Kim Cornell What are you talking about? He sounds delightfully Jewish.
***** Just make sure it's not too hot in here or else it will set off his asthma OH I NEED MY INHALER
I love that character.
it's good that Ralph has faith in his ideas about making gritty, adult animated films, but with the exception of Fritz the Cat and a few others, they never had as much audience appeal or made a lot of profit.
That's why they're more or less dead, at least in the mainstream sense.
Disney and Dreamworks are going strong because they've more or less stuck to a formula that gets kids and parents into theaters seats, brings them cash, and (for a few a t least) draws critical praise.
YES
SexuaLobster sup man i love you're cartoons
I love this guy. He's a genius.
Ralph Bakshi throws it in you face "DO something about it!"-that is all that needs to be said.
Bakshi going HAM!!!!
he's a wonderful man.
surprised Don Bluth wasn't cited here. he was no fan of the Disney mold.
Don Bluth worked for Disney, dumbass.
I watch this several times a year, every year, when I need to get inspired.
still great.
Real nice coming back to watch this. Glad it's still up.
Doing well on my works. Glad to watch this again. Ralph was right about a lot of things he mentioned.
Lethargic...uninspired...terrified.....does that answer your question? Yep. It sure does. I direct all my students to this broadcast.
Not going to the film business if Disney is in the way. Glad to watch and hear this again.
Wow- this man just changed my life
This guy is an inspiration for me
He dared to go farther at a time when Disney was king and look where he is today. I'm an aspiring animator also but I haven't started a student film yet because I can't think of a really good idea and plus I want to improve my drawing first
Absolutely inspirational. I love this.
I love Bakshi's cartoons! I wish he was able to make a continuation of his Lord of the Rings cartoon.
I have been a big fan of Bakshi since "The Mighty Heroes"! A very inspirational piece for cartoonists or whatever your field of expertise.
He looks ancient now, but he’s still alive and kicking. Would suck if he left us this year. 2020s have been turbulent. He is a fantastic animator who will never be forgotten 👍
This message applies to every industry if you ask me. This is a good slap in the face that I need.
Ralph Bakshi is truly great inspiration to all animators out there including me! Thanks a lot Tom Fulp for sharing this with us on Newgrounds :-)
Ralph Bakshi is a genius! One of the best movie makers out there!
@WallyWadeMovies yeah, but the thing that talented people like mr bakshi tend to forget is that not everyone has their creativity. the reason people dont strike out like he did is not because theyre cowards - its because they honestly dont have any original ideas.
While I still like old-school Disney, there's no denying in what corporate monster they have turned into. Just look what they did to Star Wars.
@RanDOOMP Sorry about that. I was too focused on innovation and that Bakshi did mention that he wanted to try to make the story better not caring if the animation is good or bad. Anime does fall into that criteria. Americans don't innovate. As what he said in the beginning, they were saving what has been done many times before in the past and not thinking about what they are doing. My point is, people making animated films need to stop being restricted by others and do what will win viewers
Egoraptor is a great example of Bakshi's ideal young animator in the modern age.
:c
It really is a non-issue to me though. As long as people can keep making these things, and I can keep seeing them, I'm happy. In recent years we've seen FLCL, Samurai Champloo, The Incrediles, Wall-E, Spirited Away, Triplets of Belleville, Persepolis, the surprising stamina of South Park, Sealab 2021, and grand champion of awesome Brad Neely. Life's pretty good for animation. I wish I could see more of it on the big screen, but it's far from dead and the internet is already coming through.
This guy made Fire and Ice AND Coolworld!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy Fuck why am I just discovering this guy? He's a legeng to me as of now!
Inspiring - thanks Ralph!
That's why Elfquest creators, Wendy and Richard Pini, been SCREWED for decades--they waited and waited around, they should have looked around for talented animators not established.
Great advice, still relevant
@illuminatioracle what you said is extremely hilarious because that's exactly what she was doing, fronting bands doing shitty led zeppelin covers in bars in the west village, then she remembered she was born rich into one of the most wealthy families new york and focused entirely on spectacle after that
Yesterday I watched an animation called "Metal Gear Solid 3 - Fry eater", a parody of the game "Metal Gear Solid 3 - Snake eater", the drawings and animation were terrible, but the voices were so good that they were almost identical to the original voices, and the jokes were so hilarious, there were no bad words, and the story was almost the same as the one from the game, but using stuff like hamburgers.
Prove that you don't need resources to make a great movie, you just need creativity.
Brilliant words from a brilliant mind.
FINISHING STUFF. So true. And so tough to do.
This video is life changing. Favorited.
R.I.P pencils
Too bad that there isnt a recording of the full panel discussion online...
ive loved bakshi since i was 4 years old ever since i saw that Heavy Traffic box in a blockbuster
Next year, the first "Last Days of Coney Island" short will come out! :)
Amen Bakshi!
Say...if anybody wants to team up on an animated project like he suggests, contact me!
....XD
I'm a student animator, and Bakshi is one of my favourite filmmakers, for both his nerve and the grit and beauty of his movies. I actually liked Fritz the cat, and whether Crumb did or not doesn't determine the quality of the movie itself. That is his personal opinion. But on its own terms, I think Fritz is an exceptional movie, for the sheer rawness and feel of it.
I'm not talking about artistic achievement, I'm referring to is his comment about how "the perception of animated films are that they are children or family oriented... Walt Disney's greatest legacy, I'd argue". While Bakshi certainly pioneered the field, he was an exception to the rule with limited commercial success, but now, in the popular conscious, I think that perception (which wasn't always around) has been broken due to those shows, and to a lesser extant, the rise of anime in America.
Good question. When he said 40 feet, he meant 40 feet length of a film for animation. American studios used length of the film to pay animators. 40 feet of film is about 26 seconds.