Writers Get Animated

Grab your wizard’s staff and set off with us as we discuss Pixar’s Onward! Why is Pixar telling this story now? What can we learn about foreshadowing and audience expectations? 

Climb aboard a massive dragonfly as we zoom through the coolest post-apocalyptic world around in “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts!” How is the storytelling different in Kipo? What are the trends that we’re seeing? How is the world introduced? What is most exciting about the world created in Kipo?

It's our annual look at the Oscar-nominated animated short films! Five different and engaging short films were nominated for the Oscar this year: Hair Love, Daughter, Sister, Memorable, and Kitbull. What trends and themes were present this year? What were the different ways stories were told?

• 133 - Hey Academy, Here’s How You Should’ve Voted: The Oscar-Nominated Shorts

Brendan Hay, Mike Yank, Sarah Nerboso, and Marie Cheng from Harvey Girls Forever join us to discuss the final season of the show. We discuss their favorite moments of the final season, how they said goodbye to the show, and what they were glad made it into the final season!

• 138 - The Writers of Harvey Girls Forever!

Harley Quinn has her own series now on DC Universe! What happens when a character who began in animation, went into comic book form, then into live action, returns to animation? How has the character of Harley Quinn evolved? How is this series different from other DC animated series that have come before? Also, who knew that Poison Ivy would be the ultimate roommate?

• Watch Harley Quinn on DC Universe (Subscription Needed)

It’s a new year, so we’re celebrating by dreaming big! We’re taking our tradition of proving that some things write themselves to new heights. It’s one part improv and one part writing exercise. Play along with us as we come up with sequels, reboots, and spin-offs of some of the properties available on Disney+. 

• 095 - It Still Writes Itself, Apparently

Disney+ is here, and the Disney Vault is mostly open! Our trip through the Disney canon continues as we go back through the early shorts of Disney to see if we can identify Disney DNA. What makes Disney Disney? What has changed through the years? What can we learn from these early Disney shorts? Why would you ever trust Goofy to drive you anywhere?

• Canon in Disney Part I: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

When is a sequel justified? Or… How do you make a sequel that’s just as merited as the first film when you’re writing for the sequel to the biggest animated film of all time (besides The Lion King)? This week, we plunge into the icy waters of Frozen II (2)! What else does Elsa have to do to complete her character arc? What can Idina Menzel sing about this time? What do you do when your characters get comfortable? Can a snowman make you cry?

Links

Buzzfeed Facts About Frozen 2: https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/frozen-2-behind-the-scenes-facts 

Episode 154 about Frozen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/writers-get-animated/id1059055576?i=1000422610016

It’s (almost) Christmastime, so we unwrap your gift early to talk Klaus on Netflix! What kinds of stories can you tell with Santa? What are the tropes and trappings of Santa? How successful can a dark and gritty reboot of Santa be?

• Klaus director pushed past the limitations of traditional animation

How do you tell a story without words? We look at the tools and techniques used in Genndy Tartakovsky’s new show: Primal! How can color and staging tell your story? How do you show a changing relationship without words?

• Watch Primal on Adult Swim