Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular | |
---|---|
Mainframe | |
Release date | July 18, 2003 (SDCC) |
Running time | 48 minutes[1] |
Country | Canada |
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular is a 2003 Canadian animated Halloween comedy film based on the
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular was produced by Vancouver-based animation company
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 18, 2003 before it was released to region 1 DVD on September 3. It aired during that year's Halloween season in most territories except the United States, where it premiered on television the following year on Cartoon Network on October 1, 2004. The special was a ratings hit on its U.S. television premiere, well received by critics, and won Leo Awards for the program itself as well as its score and direction. It, along with The Revenge of Jimmy, continued to re-air every Halloween season on Cartoon Network in later years.
Plot
Actor | Character(s)[2] | |
---|---|---|
Tabitha St. Germain | Scary Godmother, Countess Ruby | |
Britt McKillip | Hannah Marie | |
Alex Doduk | Jimmy | |
Scott McNeil | Mr. Skully Pettibone, Count Max | |
Garry Chalk | Bug-A-Boo, Harry | |
Adam Pospisil | Orson | |
Danny McKinnon | Bert | |
Noel Callahan | Daryl | |
Brittney Irvine | Katie |
On
Inside, a friendly
Outside of the "spook house", Jimmy, Katie, Bert, and Daryl have waited for hours for Hannah to get out. The typical trick-or-treating time has passed, and Bert, Daryl, and Katie all become worried about Jimmy's legend being true and Hannah's life in danger. They demand to go in and get Hannah, but Jimmy, out of nowhere, insists there's no monsters, declares himself the "leader" by winning a
Near the end of the party, Hannah tells the guests about the myth Jimmy told her. Jimmy's name rings a bell to Bug-A-Boo, who scares Jimmy every other Thursday; the monster is angry with Jimmy because he spreads rumors that Bug-A-Boo eats little girls. Scary Godmother and her friends decide to play a prank on Jimmy and his goons in response, which ends with Hannah pretending to scare away the monsters. The kids take the monsters as real and bolt out of the house. Before Hannah leaves, the Godmother gives her a skeleton key to go back to the Fright Side anytime.
Background and development
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular is based on a stage production of the first Scary Godmother book done by Thompson and Runamuck Productions that ran at a Chicago community theater in 2001.[4][5] The special features longer shots that most other animated films, each lasting between 15 and 45 seconds, a decision by director Zeke Norton to emphasize the dialog's humor he noticed in the stage show.[5][6]
In July 1999,
Production
Workflow
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular entered pre-production in January 2002 before beginning what would be eight months of production in July.[10][6] The production team went from 25 animators, including "10 people who were there for most of it", to 50 individuals that included those working in-between other projects.[11] Thompson was heavily involved in the development and production: "I co-wrote the show, worked as an editor, I directed art, I illustrated expression sheets, chose voices, suggested music, designed sets, [and] painted backgrounds (or anything else that was needed or helpful)".[10] She was in her Chicago studio during production, so she faxed drawings and paintings to Norton while Mainframe sent videotapes of progress to the artist, which included storyboards, wireframe animations, and fully-rendered visuals.[12] As the special was an hour-long project produced by a small crew testing new software, Mainframe's production protocol was altered significantly; for example, details about shots, such as quantities of them and their order of appearance, were documented on a gigantic whiteboard, whereas before the staff would learn about them during editing.[13]
Casting
As with prior Mainframe projects, all actors were cast locally from Vancouver (some of whom had previously voiced in works by the animation studio) and recorded together in the same room.[14] To get around the limited budget, some actors were hired to voice two characters each; Tabitha St. Germain was cast as Scary Godmother and Countess Ruby, Garry Chalk played Bug-a-Boo and Harry, and Scott McNeil portrayed Mr. Skully Pettibone and Count Max.[15]
Most of the actresses that auditioned for the Scary Godmother put on, in Thompson's opinion, a creepy "Wicked Witch type of voice" unsuitable for the character; this was also the case with auditions for the stage show.[16] Thompson described the witch as enthusiastic and only a little goofier than the average person, and she felt St. Germain's voice matched it.[17]
Harry, who is an item collector and comic book fanatic, was based on fans of Thompson's work who were also collectors, thus she looked for someone that could replicate indescribable speech patterns common with them.[18] The affectations were based the most on one fan who she described in a published interview as into "creepy fan art drawings" but refused to reveal his name to not embarrass him; at a convention, the fan was upset at Thompson for not mentioning him.[19]
Animation
Mainframe produced Halloween Spooktakular with 12 iterations of a new
Being animated in
Fur was not only added to all of Harry and Bugaboo, but also on the Godmother's hair and skirt and Hannah's tutu.[6] Due to Mainframe's originally-programmed fur-texturing software not being compatible with the new pipeline, XSI's built-in fur simulation was employed instead.[6] The fur was the most difficult part of animating the special, particularly when it came to Bugaboo; because he was animated with several complex forward and inverse kinematics, "the extreme poses often made the hair do interesting things that we didn't want it to do, such as sticking straight up or even protruding through the character's mouth", according to Norton.[6] These issues were hidden with FX Tree.[6] The clouds seen during Hannah's flight with the Scary Godmother were another major challenge; they were modeled by displacement mapping simple sheets and balls, before FX Tree added several turbulent distortion, swirl, and blur effects to make them look fluffy and light.[6] The clouds were presented by Softmage as part of an FX Tree showcase for the 2003 SIGGRAPH event.[6]
Visual style
In a 2001 interview, Dan DiDio, Mainframe's senior VP of creative affairs, admitted other investors were holding television computer-animated productions to the same standard as theatrical films; to avoid these comparisons, the company stylized their animation with productions like Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular.[22] It was the first production where Mainframe used proprietary software; this led to more flexibility and tools to experiment, making it easier to achieve a unique visual style that Karen Moltenbrey of Computer Graphics World categorized as more reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994) than modern 3D computer-animated films.[6]
The company's initial vision was being animated entirely in the same 2D watercolor painting style as the books, but Thompson decided that her characters be animated in 3D, a decision influenced by her love of stop-motion films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas; the final result was 3D CGI characters animated in front of what looked like still, 2D hand-drawn watercolor backgrounds (although most of them were modeled in 3D).[6][11] Moltenbrey wrote that this diversity extended to the character designs, from the wide-eyed, anime look of Hannah to the simplistic style used for Jimmy and his friends to the softer, more sophisticated appearance of the creatures.[6] One character design liberty was with Pettibone, who wore clothes in the books so Thompson did not have to draw his rib cage but wore nothing in the special as animating cloth would have required too much processing power.[23]
Release
In addition to a sneak peek trailer on Mainframe's website, Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular was promoted with tie-ins from Halloween shops and candy producers.[24] The special premiered at the 2003 San Diego Comic-Con on July 18 to favorable audience reception reported by Comic Book Resources: "As the special continued, there was more applause each time a familiar character appeared onscreen, with the biggest hand going to the arrival of the show's title character. It was clear the show was a hit from the start with this audience of devoted Thompson fans, with lots of laughter and appreciative applause and cheers throughout".[25] It was also screened on Halloween at the Biograph Theatre for the first animation event of the Chicago International Film Festival,[26][27] and on Halloween 2004 at the ION International Animation, Gaming and Short Film Festival as part of the annual event's "Kids Day".[28]
Halloween Spooktakular was released on
The special, along with The Revenge of Jimmy became an annual tradition for Cartoon Network to air during the Halloween season,
Reception
Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular, on its first United States airing, was the most-viewed cable program with kids 6-11, boys 6-11, kids 2-11 and boys 2-11; with 1,051,000 viewers from the kids 6-11 demographic, it was the highest-rated Cartoon Network special of 2004 with kids 6-11, boys 6-11 and boys 2-11, and improved viewership with kids 6-11 by 55% and its rating 54%.[31] The special won three Leo Awards; Brett Gannon, Kim Dent Wilder, Phil Mitchell, Sharan Wood and Kevin Gamble won Best Animation Program or Series, Robert Buckley received the Best Musical Score accolade, and Ezekiel Norton received an award for Best Direction/Storyboarding in an Animation Program or Series.[42]
Critical reviews of Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular were also generally positive, critics calling it "a little dark, a little scary and fun",[43] and "an instant classic".[44] Its character designs were praised as "eye-catching" by Tim Clodfelter despite its "limited" animation quality,[45] and considered high-class for Mainframe's otherwise "pedestrian" standards by ICv2.[46] Chris Hicks, writing for the Deseret News, favorably noted the "witty" dialogue and voice acting,[47] while Clodfelter praised the characters, particularly highlighting Harry.[45] Ellen Fox of the Chicago Tribune, however, was turned off by its overabundance of content: "Between the chirpy dialogue, busy backgrounds, jerky limb movements and campy monsters (like the skeleton in the closet), it's like a marionette show put on by drag queens".[27]
In 2020, the special re-surged in popularity with the prevalence of TikTok videos of people syncing to the show's audio or dressing up as characters from the special.[48]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ "Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular (2008)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "Scary Godmother Halloween Spooktakular". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Kilmer, David (July 28, 1999). "Mainframe will develop SCARY GODMOTHER". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c K. Elder, Robert (October 21, 2001). "No sign of stage fright". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Mainframe's Scary Godmother". Comics Continuum. January 29, 2002. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Moltenbrey, Karen (October 2003). "Witches Brew". Computer Graphics World. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- Kidscreen. Archivedfrom the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Behrens, Web (September 21, 2001). "From under the bed to on the stage". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 59:57–1:02:03.
- ^ a b Landers, Carrie (June 2003). "Jill Thompson – Scary Godmother: At Death's Door!". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f McGorry, Ken (October 1, 2003). "The Godmother". Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 3:38–6:20.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 7:23–9:16.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 31:49–32:09.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 26:50–27:23.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 27:24–27:58.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 27:57–28:17.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 29:39–30:01.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 30:16–31:13.
- ^ Baisley, Sarah (April 7, 2003). "Mainframe Completes CGI Scary Godmother Special Using SOFTIMAGEXSI". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 52:44–54:12.
- Kidscreen. Archivedfrom the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 17:54–21:19.
- ^ Worley, Rob (April 8, 2003). "Comics2Film Wrap for April 8th, 2003". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Hatcher, Greg (July 19, 2003). "SAN DIEGO, DAY TWO: 'Scary Godmother Animated Special' premieres at CCI". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ K. Elder, Robert (November 6, 2003). "Scary Godmother tale debuts at animated fest". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Fox, Ellen (November 7, 2003). "Cineme's fare is far from cartoonish". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Ball, Ryan (October 21, 2004). "ION Fest to Honor DPS Film Roman, Fleischer". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Scary Godmother Update". Comics Continuum. August 16, 2003. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Scary Godmother Takes Halloween by Surprise". Corus Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Scary Godmother a Hit". Comics Continuum. October 5, 2004. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Briefly". Comics Continuum. October 8, 2004. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Scary Godmother on Cartoon Network". ICv2. September 9, 2004. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "New Scary Godmother Special". Comics Continuum. September 29, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ "Scary Godmother on Cartoon Network". Comics Continuum. September 22, 2006. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ "Scary Godmother on Cartoon Network". Comics Continuum. October 8, 2007. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ "Briefly". Comics Continuum. October 2, 2011. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (September 28, 2012). "Cartoon Network Celebrates Halloween All October with Brand New Original Specials". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Kids' Collection (Happy Elf/Everyone's Hero/Scary Godmother) [DVD]". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "Kids Halloween 4-Pack". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ @MainframeAnim (October 30, 2020). "Bringing back those childhood memories! Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular and The Revenge of Jimmy is now streaming on @CraveCanada! Enjoy. #ScaryGodmother #HalloweenMovies #HalloweenAtHome" (Tweet). Retrieved November 13, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Baisley, Sarah (June 29, 2004). "Mainframe and Studio B Win Lion's Share of Leo Awards". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Ratliff, Larry (October 29, 2004). "Horror classics, new thrillers to die for". San Antonio Express-News (Metro ed.). p. 4H.
- ^ Kluger, Bruce (October 2004). "Halloween Treats For The Whole Family". Parenting. Vol. XVIII, no. 9. p. 234.
- ^ a b Clodfelter, Tim (October 28, 2004). "Kids Will Enjoy Some Not-So-Scary Halloween Videos". Winston-Salem Journal (Metro ed.). p. 33.
- ^ "'Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy'". ICv2. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Hicks, Chris (September 20, 2004). "Chris Hicks: Kids' DVDs feature barn animals, G.I. Joe". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Mainframe 2020, 22:09–22:52.
Videos
- "Scary Godmother flashback! Featuring Jill Thompson and Zeke Norton". Mainframe Entertainment. October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.