Many thanks to Takeshi Okada and team! I appreciate the chance to share my thoughts on creativity and the creative process, creating original stories and characters along the way. Domo arigato!
Archive for the ‘The Series’ Category
Steven Fischer’s Wonderful, Happy, Cartoony Workshop, Tokyo!
August 16, 2020Creative Writing and Journal Writing at Northwestern University
June 16, 2020Many thanks to Debra Ann Blade and Sylvia Tan for your continued interest in my Creative Writing workshops!
Northwestern University’s Norris Center is offering free sessions in Creative Writing and Journal Writing (among many other courses) to provide some much needed relief for people needing artful, healthy outlets during these stressful times.
Steve & Bluey Tell it Like it is in the World of Cartoons
June 9, 2020From the Daily Record, August 21, 2002 and the first release of The Wonderful, Happy, Cartoony World of Steve & Bluey.
George Berlin: Dream Play Create
June 4, 2020Blue Dog Productions, Inc. and Steven Fischer announce George Berlin: Dream Play Create, a re-packaging of the EarthRise Apollo animated series by animator George Berlin.
Produced in the style of a CBS Sunday Morning segment, this short documentary spotlights animator George Berlin and his cosmic animated films EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams, EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons, and EarthRise Apollo: Dreaming of the Infinite. Each animated short celebrates the child within, encouraging all of us to keep alive inside a love of imagination and exploration no matter how old we grow.
Stills from the animated films:
Big Wheel space adventure from EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons (2019) George Berlin Studios.
Still from George Berlin’s EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams as it appeared screening in Bucharest at the iMapp Bucharest projection mapping festival.
EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons at BLINK Cincinnati
November 17, 2019Our animated projection mapping epic EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons projected at the BLINK Cincinnati light-based arts festival, October 10-13, 2019! (The festival estimates 1.5 million people attended.)
The rooftop scene from EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons (2019) by George Berlin Studios.
Conceived by animator George Berlin, Lunar Toons is inspired by the artist’s own adventures growing up enthralled with space travel and exploration.
Watch it here: https://vimeo.com/371998637
Hats off to the George Berlin Studios Team:
Director
George Berlin
Producer
Steven Fischer
Animators and Illustrators
Nick Janecki
Ryan Jolly
Marc Walls
Lindsay Zimmerman
Vanja Spremo Zogovic
Mike Jagodzinski
Alec Rudek
George Berlin
Music
Mike Langlie, Twink the Toy Piano Band
Big Wheel space adventure from EarthRise Apollo: Lunar Toons (2019) George Berlin Studios.
EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams Projects in Bucharest
September 28, 2019Our animated projection mapping epic EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams released on September 21, 2019 in Bucharest, Romania! Watch it here: https://vimeo.com/362616567
EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams by George Berlin Studios, screening at The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania on Saturday Sept 21, 2019.
Moonbeams was one of only 8 invitations to the prestigious iMapp Festival, one of the world’s largest international 3D projection mapping shows. The creation of the animation required demanding technical precision as sixty-four 30K lumen projectors projected the movie as one image on the façade of The Palace of the Parliament building in Bucharest, an irregular screening space of 23,000 sqm (the second largest administrative building in the world), to an audience of 60,000 spectators.
EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams production team:
Director
George Berlin
Producer
Steven Fischer
Animators and Illustrators
Nick Janecki
Ryan Jolly
Rick Lapidus
Chris Morris
Marc Walls
Lindsay Zimmerman
Vanja Spremo Zogovic
Mike Jagodzinski
Alec Rudek
Composer
Donny Walker
Sound Design
Zach Jarrett
Kelly Askam
Mind Exchange Music
Musicians
George Berlin
Donny Walker
Kelly Askam
Zach Jarrett
Jason Jade Lyons
Neil Alan Sacheck
Lucia Thomas
Cory Tiffin
Josh Williamson
The gods scene from EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams. Art by Lindsay Zimmerman and Alec Rudek; animation by George Berlin, Lindsay, and Vanja Spremo Zogovic. Copyright 2019 George Berlin Studios
Apollo landing scene from EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams Apollo. Art and animation by George Berlin. Copyright 2019 George Berlin Studios.
More Cartoons by Steven Fischer
August 21, 2019
An episode from Steven Fischer’s 2004 series, Francine. copyright 2004 Steven Fischer.
The History of Illness by Steven Fischer. Copyright 2002 Steven Fischer and Blue Dog Productions, Inc.
Steven Fischer’s 2000 character concept sketch for the feature film Youthquake by Michele Fischer. Drawing copyright 2000 Steven Fischer.
Fusion International Film Festivals Interview with Steven Fischer
August 16, 2019Thank you, Dan Hickford and The Fusion International Film Festivals, for the honor of being the inaugural subject of The Green Room!
Click here to see the full interview with photos! https://www.fusionfilmfestivals.com/the-green-room/01-steven-fischer/
As part of our ever growing platform of content we wanted to add a new dimension, whereby we explore professionals within the industry from across the world that may not be able to join us at our festivals but still have a wonderful story to tell.
First up is one of our newest Jury Members Steven Fischer. Festival Co-Director Dan Hickford is asking the questions!
DAN HICKFORD: Steven you are certainly a man of many talents but it all had to start somewhere! Your career began at 17…but when did you first pick up a pencil and begin drawing?
STEVEN FISCHER: Thank you. I created my first cartoon book at age 6 or 7. It was a take-off on the Peanuts characters. Age 6, 7 (laughs). You can imagine what it looks like: typing paper sandwiched between cardboard covers. Stapled. I still have it.
DH: And did you know from that moment what your path might be?
SF: Not consciously at first, but cartoons were a constant my whole childhood. I took solace in cartooning after a hard day at school dealing with all the bullies. And it’s where I would go simply for the joy of having a fanciful adventure. I remember at 17 a realization took over, the realization that the routine of school was ending and that I might actually have to do something with my life. That, combined with my dissatisfaction with what I saw as society’s poor values and mixed up priorities, compelled me to want to contribute to something uplifting. And with that I gravitated to my strengths and interests which was cartoons.
DH: As a film festival we get to see so many different types of films with many being documentaries! You’re own project, ‘Old School New School,’ was very personal to you. How do you feel about it when you look back now, did you get the truth and honesty you were looking for?
SF: I think we did. Like many people, I would talk about big ideas with friends over coffee. I always thought it would be great to record those private conversations which were so real and honest. One of the main challenges of the movie was to see if I could make a conversation-driven movie with no b-roll interesting. I wanted the discussion in the spotlight. It’s challenging enough to make a movie that keeps an audience engaged, now I’m throwing into the mix an intellectual discourse with no visual flash and glitter. It was tough.
DH: What inspired you?
SF: I was inspired by Louis Malle’s Place de la Republique and Jon Fauer’s courageous and beautifully photographed Cinematographer Style which is also an interview-only movie. We intentionally used a minimal crew at each location, sometimes just three of us. The DPs (Chris Cassidy, Phil Rosensteel, and Scott Uhlfelder) were challenged to use only available light. We used no production lights except on my in-studio hosted segments. No make up. No boom mike. And in most cases no tripods. We aimed to be as unobtrusive as possible in efforts to capture the most real and honest conversation. Of course we know that’s impossible. You know you’re being recorded, you know this is a movie, you know it will be public. You’ll never capture a subject completely unguarded. But still, we set the conditions as best we could so the subjects could be uninhibited, and I think we captured some essential truths.
DH: Do you think you’d get the same response today?
SF: I think so. Sure. Maybe even more. Is it too naïve to say that society is more conditioned to cameras out and recording? How many young people today are, in a sense, growing up on-camera? I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. But I’ll tell you one thing, to this day I still hear from people thanking me for Old School New School. And the most common response is: “This is just what I needed and wasn’t getting.” People want to talk about big ideas. Why are we here? Who am I? How can I tap into my full potential? And they’re just not getting it. And I think it’s because way too many of us live on the surface of life and never take the effort to search for understanding. That’s why I make movies. That’s why I tell stories, to search for understanding.
DH: Talk to us about Steve & Bluey?
SF: They’re doing great! They’ve been my life for my entire life. The first published production was their comic strip in 1990, but I’ve been writing Steve & Bluey stories since 1981.
DH: How do you describe them?
SF: Steve and Bluey are a modern day comedy team and they educate through entertainment, you know? Not educate in a formal sense, but through example… by celebrating the child within and using their life as cartoon entertainers to reflect on who we are and why people do what they do. It goes back to me at age 17, dissatisfied with society’s priorities and wondering why the class bully had to be so cruel.
We have a strong connection to London, as you know. In the 1990s we lived there and were guided by producer Steve Melendez at Melendez Films, back then on Gresse Street. We spent 12 years searching for a commission for a fully animated TV series, and I am forever grateful to the Melendez family for their generosity and support serving as co-producer of the effort. There were a few close calls, but we never got the big commission; however, in the U.S., Phillip Guthrie at TCI Communications of Baltimore accepted the show in 1996 and we produced a series of animatics which ran as interstitials for three years on TCI TV. A really good introduction to Steve & Bluey is the book The Wonderful, Happy, Cartoony World of Steve & Bluey, because the book take us with such intimacy into their professional and private lives.
DH: You promoted that book with an amazing World tour, didn’t you?
SF: The 2014 re-release we did. The original was released in 2001, 2002. But I re-vamped the book — which is a collection of behind-the-scenes adventures about life in animated show business — and, yes, the tour took me across the U.S., Puerto Rico, England, Hungary, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia. I was invited as a special guest speaker aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and twice aboard an ultra luxury mega yacht called SeaDream for Transatlantic crossings. That was surreal! Like Cinderella at the ball. I spent years promoting it with lectures on the nature of creativity and with cartoon storytelling workshops. In fact I’m still promoting. I’m in discussion now with the City of Paducah for a residency as part of their UNESCO Creative Cities network connection.
DH: Director, Producer, Actor, Editor, Writer, Cinematographer, Animator…you do a lot!! Above animation which role do you enjoy the most?
SF: I don’t like it, this slash title world in which we live. But when you live the life of a working artist, being a Jack-of-all-trades can help… but I do feel I’m missing out on the rewards one gets from mastering one role. I try hard to simply be a good storyteller. If there’s one common denominator in all those titles it’s telling a story. Writer, I guess then would be the role I enjoy most. And producing. I love the team work, you know, the camaraderie, the coming together of many talents for a common goal. As aggravating as the sour apples in a group can be, collaborating with the good people and seeing an idea brought to life energizes me and brings so much pleasure. I’m still in love with it.
DH: You’re a working artist in perhaps the hardest industry in the world! Would you change anything?
SF: Ha! “Change anything.” About the world? About the industry? Or about being a working artist?
DH: Your choice.
SF: You know, I could be Zen about this and say, “Everything is happening as it should.” I think the biggest lessons I’ve learned about being a working artist have to do with coming to terms with the words “compromise” and “control”, about the benefits of tenacity, and, as obvious as it sounds, of having something to say and using the arts to search for understanding. I don’t know if I’d phrase it as changing something so much as I see the responsibility we have as experienced professionals to share with others what we’ve learned. And the more I engage with people, all over the world, the more I see how crucial it is that people get off the surface of life. We are so conditioned to the conveniences of technology, and it’s numbing the human in us. Maybe that’s the thing I’d like to see changed, that people unplug from technology once in a while and go within to reflect. I’d like to see us build a stronger connection to instinct and to that little whisper inside which is how our characters speak to us. Too many people dismiss one another with cynicism and make no effort to find understanding about life, about human behavior.
You know, the first day of a rehearsal or a workshop or any creative endeavour I lead… here’s what I tell the artists: You are in the safest place you’ll ever be to create, because by my way of thinking there are no good ideas or bad ideas only ideas that reflect who you are and the level you’re at. And there is no right or wrong, there’s only effective or ineffective. If your idea is effective, great. It worked. If not then we work on it, we examine the motivation and objective of the character, and what you want to say, and we experiment until we make something that’s ineffective, effective.
And we do this by being open, in the moment, playful, spontaneous, curious … that’s the big one. Conditioning ourselves to be curious and inquisitive and to show interest in something other than self. I’ve listened to so many people talk, fixated on their own perspective — and I mean fixations that are narrow, limited, negative, bitter, unenlightened. And I want to ask them: have you ever engaged someone and just spent the time asking questions and listening? Just because you consider another point of view doesn’t mean you have to agree with it. It means you are open to something other than yourself. You’re asking what might be changed? How about we listen more than we speak, ask questions more than we make comments, and then combine the discoveries we make with our own point of view and let our work make the comment.
DH: Wow! That was…
SF: I know; I was appearing at Speakers’ Corner there for a moment.
DH: No, no. We like passion! One last question, what film still remains timeless for you?
SF: City Lights. Charlie Chaplin, 1931. Best last line of a movie ever, silent or sound.
DH: What a wonderful insight into your journey and career to date. Thank you, Steven Fischer, for being our inaugural subject in ‘The Green Room’. It has been a pleasure.
SF: It has pleasure for me, too. Thank you so much for the honour!
January 24, 2019
Producer Steven Fischer in Hollywood, California, during production of “I am Max” for AMP Polska.
A Robert Redford Story
September 28, 2018It’s 2010. I’m nearing completion of a movie called Old School New School, my personal study on creativity. In the movie, I travel the United States meeting with world-class artists to discover the nature of creativity, how they found their voice, and how they define success. The cast was a veritable collection of Who’s Who: Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox, Grammy Award winner and jazz great McCoy Tyner, and Tony Award winner Emanuel Azenberg among many more outstanding world stage notables.
L-R: Fred Weil, Steven Fischer, Brian Cox, Chris Cassidy shooting Old School New School, New York City, June 2010. Photo by Ren.
Director of Photography Chris Cassidy, Director Steven Fischer, internationally acclaimed dancer Kirstie Simson, Camera Operator Phil Rosensteel shooting Old School New School, New York City, 2009.
June. I attend the annual summit of Americans for the Arts at the Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland. To celebrate its 50th anniversary of advocating arts education, AftA engaged Robert Redford as a keynote speaker. He presents during Friday’s two-hour lunch break in the hotel’s large ballroom. Mr. Redford speaks about 15 minutes then exits the stage. Being such a significant arts advocate, and with such a stellar career in the arts, I knew he would make an ideal on-camera subject for Old School New School. I also figure he’s leaving the hotel and that this would be my only chance to invite him to be part of the movie. I slip out of the ballroom and wander the adjoining corridors, figuring I’d run into him eventually.
I was right.
I turn a corner and see him! He’s seated with his back to me in private conference with an AftA executive. Seeing two people in conversation, my instinct was to hesitate — but a spirited initiative pushes me forward. I approach and say to the executive, “Excuse me. I hate to interrupt…”
The executive’s response? A silent, livid stare.
Adrenaline is racing through my body. What have a just done? I’ve broken into a private meeting. I know my intrusion is inappropriate. I know this is not the preferred way to open discussion with an A-list movie star, but I also know that I have a responsibility to this movie. (And I figure if anyone would be sympathetic to the struggles of the small, indie movie producer, it would be Robert Redford.)
My legs feel like jelly, but I find the resolve and continue. “May I just have a couple minutes? I’d like to ask Mr. Redford a question.”
A muscular security guard steps in. “Sir, you can’t be here,” he says firmly. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Just two minutes?” I plead; “two minutes?” The executive stares with a look that says she’s ready to strangle me, but to his credit Mr. Redford holds out his hand as if to halt the security guard and says in a calm voice, “It’s alright. Let him speak.”
At this invitation I lock eyes with Mr. Redford, introduce myself, and tell him about Old School New School. I rattle off the list of subjects we’ve already photographed and on hearing the name John Bailey, Mr. Redford’s eye brows raise. (John Bailey was Redford’s Director of Photography on Ordinary People.) I hand him some printed Old School New School material and my card. “I’d love for you to appear on camera in the movie,” I say. “Give me a call and we’ll set it up.”
He took my information and carefully placed it in his shirt pocket saying he would check out the website.
His participation in the movie didn’t materialize, but he gave me a wonderful gift that day: the example he set responding to an interloper. Mr. Redford was a true gentleman. He engaged me, offered his full attention, and was gracious with the time. Thank you for that, Mr. Redford, for the example of how to be. I’ve used it as a guide ever since.
Old School New School was released the following year through Snag Films, and the touching appreciation for a movie that digs beneath the surface in search of understanding the nature of creativity has been overwhelming! I’m posting some of the responses below.
You can watch Old School New School for free: http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/old_school_new_school
Producer Steven Fischer at Paramount Studios in 2009 during the production of Old School New School.
Just finished watching [Old School New School] for the first time (it won’t be the last time I assure you). Thanks for making an important film for all of us involved with creative work…
Joe I., Winnipeg, Canada
Steven, I am watching your documentary and learning so much from it. Thank for sharing this with me.
Larry M., Boston, MA
A fascinating movie about the creative potential we all possess! Enjoy and learn!
Dr. Robert M., Australia
Wonderful! Steven Fischer’s movie is a must-view. An extraordinary, inspirational distillation of artists’ wisdom and insight, with nothing getting in the way. If you want a daily warmup, this is it!
Howard E., United Kingdom
Steven, [Old School New School] was outstanding, and such a tribute for anyone doubting their own dreams for success, especially in the arts. It is one I will watch more than just once. I felt as though it was made for me…the midwestern working mom of 4 boys with a passion for writing and a dream of bringing my words to the next level. Someone like myself doesn’t really know where to begin. But, I’ll keep working at it and investigating what I need to do to see the words “based on a book by Donna Marie” someday. Thanks so much for sharing such an inspiring documentary.
Donna M., Chicago, IL
I watch your film Old School New School at least once a day. It fires my creative synapses. I want to thank you for the film.
Jermaine T., Kansas City, MO
Steven….I just watched your film…I love this…the heart…the soul of the piece is evident..
every artist WILL want to see this….not simply for motivation but there lies within the film, a sense of wonder…or passion that is not always present in other examination works….thank you for the good dreams…..
Michael S., Washington, DC
A very insightful and well made short documentary. Well worth half an hour of anyone’s time, not just those interested in creative arts.
Gareth C., UK
I thought [Old School New School] was very inspirational. For anyone working or striving to work in the arts i think you’ll really enjoy it. You may find it just as inspirational no matter what career or field you are in. Nice job Steven,
Paul H., Portland, OR
Thank you, Steven, for the insights presented in your film. Excellent questions! I love it when people put into a piece of work, things that I have asked myself. It’s validating. “I am not alone.” I loved one line from Ben Jones,…”what, and act in his head?”, when talking about a creative taking a “secure” job. Lol! This is helping me reevaluate my own path and choices. Thank you! Also, it was great meeting you in Three Oaks, Mi. Well worth the journey! Blessings!
Meghan D., Chicago, IL
Pretty cool movie. I love Kirstie Simson’s big green eyes. Intense person. Nice tour-de-force of some heady thought…should be watched with Linklater’s “Waking Life”…matter of fact, you should animate this film. ok, ok just an idea…thanks.
Robin M., Pleasant Hill, CA
Great! Steven Fischer, you ROCK! So simple, yet so profound! Thanks for this inspiring documentary!
Christina, Denver, CO
Steven: Well done, and thank you for sharing! Your doc is actually a great “tool” for those considering a “life in the arts”, and for those already in pursuit of that life, with some good, honest “inspirational messages”. We enjoyed it, and will pass along to those in our circle, and beyond.
Tracey A., Hearst Corporation
I just watched “Old School New School”. I appreciate very much the honesty, heart, wisdom and confidence in being vulnerable the project and subjects share about their “success”, process and experiences as artists and humans-being… Thanks for your work and your gift Steven :-))).
peace+blessings,
Larry C., Corpus Christi, TX
Steven, GREAT film. I wish it had been twice as long. Always fascinating to hear the deep thoughts of creative people. I’m on such a journey myself; one of the breakthroughs for me was to realize that I have to have an honest, true REASON for what I do. What is so compelling about your film is that it’s one honest way (of many) to dig those reasons out of hiding.
Thanks again and look forward to more work from you.
Scott R.
I enjoyed the film. I really loved seeing my friend and mentor Billy Fraker.He was a master! He taught me a lot.
Darla R.
[Old School New School] is a great film, Steven! I can feel it in my gut when I’m veering away from what my soul wants. This film was an awesome reminders for us creative types who sometimes get bogged down by the “should do’s” in life to keep going, follow your bliss and do what nature intended for you to do. Very nice work. Shared this one!
Jennifer W.
I just watched your documentary and I really enjoyed it. Very nice work. You’re asking some tough questions and the responses were really fascinating.
Ryon B., Columbia, MD
Wow! Just finished watching it. GREAT interviews!! This is a special piece. Watch it and share it. All of the interviews were amazing! You did a super job of getting carefully thought out and deeply held ideas from all of these tremendously successful and creative people. Thanks so much, Steve!
Les O.
I am so glad you made [Old School New School], this topic is something that I spend many hours debating and obsessing over in my head. Thank-you for making this!
Angela B.
The interviews are insightful and the whole idea behind this documentary is noteworthy. I have heard a great deal of lectures on “how to be successful” or “what define being successful” but something as specific as being successful in the “art” I rarely heard, and I’m glad it is brought up. Great film.
Ze
Fantastic film—handles questions I have thought about e.g what is success.
paul
[Old School New School] is very unique and so true to life! It is real and tells it how it is.
Thanks for a creative and excellent film.
Jani B.
Old School, New School 