Oscars “draw” in animated features

Toons of all sorts take to the red carpet

    

Angela Espinoza

he Academy Awards are the most
| prestigious among the numerous
award ceremonies presented
throughout the year. For over 80 years,
the Oscars have set the bar for what’s
considered the cream of the crop of the
film medium. Since its inception, certain
categories have come and gone: introduced
in 2001, the most recent to appear on the
bill is Best Animated Feature.

The category itself has been somewhat
controversial for animation fans, with many
believing the idea of separating animated
features from live action to be a form of
snubbing. The only time in history when
an animated feature was nominated for
the coveted Best Picture category was in
1991 with the nomination of Beauty and
the Beast. Moreover, controversy arose
(although I’m not sure why) when Wall-E
failed to be nominated for both Best
Animated Feature and Best Picture at the

82nd Academy Awards, despite receiving
endless critical praise. But while the
category still stands as something of a snub,
it can be said that more often than not, it
manages to give credit where credit’s due.

The 83rd Academy Awards have
recently broken their own record for most
contenders to be considered for nomination
in the Best Animated Feature category. 20
films have been considered, beating out
the previous record of 16 back during the
2002 Academy Awards season. Although
several of the films (e.g., The Princess and
the Frog, Fantastic Mr. Fox) have yet to be
released and properly recognized, the hype
around them has already caused many to
believe them worthy of the nomination.

I can tell you now, just by reading the
titles of some of the films, that their hopes
to be nominated are almost laughable. For
example, take Alvin and the Chipmunks:
The Squeakquel—yeah, that has Academy
Award winner written all over it. Even
better yet, the widely panned Planet 51]
has been submitted for consideration... I
guess some people don’t understand that
something called “effort” needs to go

 

 

into animated films and/or Oscar-winning
movies.

However, roughly three quarters of
the contenders definitely make the list a
nail bitter, as only five will end up being
nominated. Since we all know Up will have
a place on the ballot, technically there’s
only four spots available. The Belgian stop-
motion animated comedy, A Town Called
Panic, has received mass praise, whereas
another stop-motion film, Mary and Max,
takes on the dark comedy genre, dealing
in depth with subjects such as neglect and
suicide—FYI, this is a children’s film.
Disney’s A Christmas Carol certainly has a
chance, as does, in my opinion, Monsters
vs. Aliens.

Now, hear me out; it’s not the greatest

Bind

 
    

  

animated film, but you can’t deny that it’s
certainly hilarious, and that the dedicated
voice actors fit their roles perfectly (e.g.,
Stephen Colbert as the president of the
United States). I wish I could say the
beautifully dark and entertaining Coraline
has a chance, but I fear it'll only be
recognized for its animation technique in
order to make room for other contenders.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to
hear which five will end up on the ballot.
The cynical critic in me already has a
feeling which one will undoubtedly win,
but the cartoon-loving kid in me is jumping
around wondering if any of my favourites
will be picked. Unfortunately, we won’t
know until all nominations are released on
February 2, 2010.

 

 

f=

18 years old and already Trevor Hoffman is making a name for himself

Fresh talent at Douglas College is not wasting any time

 

Trevor Hoffman

 

 

By Jay Schreiber, Arts Editor

emember Mozart? The child prodigy
R= toured Europe in his youth,

and later settled down to write
quintessential works to the classical era? Any
bells ringing yet?

The thing that kept Mozart going is that
he had a drive for his work and knew what it
takes to make it in his profession. In this way,
Douglas Music student Trevor Hoffman is no
different.

“Tt’s all about practice and dedication,”
Trevor mentioned. “Mozart knew that, and
although he was a child prodigy, he still
wouldn’t have gotten as far as he did without
working for it.”

Having played piano for 13 years, Trevor

Trevor mentioned piano instructor Ellen
Silverman as being a key figure in his current
studies. “She’s been a great influence in helping
develop my understanding of music,” he
continued.

In addition to performing music, Trevor
has also found a talent for creating music of his
own and aspires to become a film composer.
Douglas composition head, Doug Smith, has
assisted Trevor in preparing his arrangements
for the end of semester composition concert in
early December.

Performance is important to Trevor too,
who made his way to the stage several times
during student recitals and Arts at one program
this semester. In his latest performance on
November 19, Trevor proved himself a
scholar and gave historical background before

“Music is a language, and many of us understand how to
communicate. There’s certain things that people can tell each other
than words simply cannot describe” — Trevor Hoffman

has dedicated the better part of his young life
to perfecting his craft, and has chosen to spend
his first few years of post secondary study at
Douglas College.

“T mainly enjoy playing classical, but I get
bored staying in one genre” Trevor continued.
With experience playing other styles such as
jazz, gospel and even alternative rock, there’s
nothing Trevor won’t try and enjoys the
diversity.

Growing up in Maple Ridge, Trevor’s
parents saw a spark in their son when he played
the piano, and their nurturing helped get Trevor
to where he is today. He began taking lessons
from Kathy Bartel and Dan Wardrope who
helped foster a love of music within Trevor.

“T love the Lower Mainland, so I decided
to stay,” Trevor said of his choice of school.

performing Rachmaninoff’s expressive image
of a changing Russia in turmoil.

“Music is a language, and many of us
understand how to communicate,” Trevor
had to say. “There’s certain things that people
can tell each other that words simply cannot
describe.” Trevor is easily finding a voice to
express himself, and with the helpful influence
of David Duke, Douglas Dean of LLPA, it’s
easy to see why he is going to go far in the field
of music.

Trevor Hoffman is a renaissance man in
the making, and he is easily earning his way
around the music world. Whether it’s sitting in
the Music hallway reading scores at the New
West Campus, or performing for piano virtuoso
Lang Lang, you can just tell that this kid’s
enjoying the ride.

 

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