The new Pixar film Coco speaks about ancestral ties, remembrance, and celebration. It is a story that follows young musician Miguel on his journey into the Land of the Dead to solve a family mystery, embrace his passion for music, and create his own destiny. I interviewed Story Supervisor Jason Katz, who has had a […]
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CREATING COCO: An interview with Pixar’s Jason Katz, Story Supervisor
November 22nd, 2017 
Leslie Combemale OPEN LETTER: Animation Insiders Demand a Change from Sexism and Harassment in the Animation Industry
October 19th, 2017 Leslie Combemale A letter was sent today by 217 women and non-gender conforming folk to over a dozen studios demanding change and an end to sexual harassment and sexism in the animation industry. Included on the list of recipients are executives at Disney, Sony Pictures Animation, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks Animation, and Warner Bros. Signatures are from people […]
The Glorious Labor of LOVING VINCENT: An Interview with filmmakers Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman
September 28th, 2017 Leslie Combemale Loving Vincent is the first fully oil painted feature film. The brainchild of two filmmakers who have worked in animation, special effects, and live action, this film breaks new ground in the 21st century. Visually stunning, Loving Vincent is also driven by a story about the last few weeks in the life an artist who […]
BEING IN BAMBI: A Chat With The Voices of Bambi and Thumper
May 23rd, 2017 Leslie Combemale Bambi, the classic 1942 Disney feature known and loved around the world, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a new collection on digital HD debuting today (May 23rd) – and on blu-ray on June 6th. As is often the case with these new releases, there’s a slew of new bonus material to make it essential […]
MAKING MOANA: An interview with the film’s Art Director of Characters Bill Schwab
November 14th, 2016 Leslie Combemale Disney’s new release, Moana, has been a long labor of love by the production team headed by directors Ron Clements and John Musker. The artistic braintrust behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Princess and the Frog brought together a group of passionate animators and artists to build the movie from the ground up. One of […]
INTERVIEW: Director Keiichi Hara on “Miss Hokusai”
November 10th, 2016 Leslie Combemale The animated film Miss Hokusai has been one of a handful of features that has been garnering awards attention, and justly so. Gorgeously filmed, sophisticated, and meaningful, it’s a movie that should been seen and considered both the critics awards and arthouse audiences. We spoke to director Keiichi Hara about bringing famed and important feminist […]
The Voice of Beauty, PAIGE O’HARA: On 25 years of being Belle
September 19th, 2016 Leslie Combemale This Tuesday, September 20th, the 25th anniversary edition of the classic from the new golden age of animation Beauty and the Beast is being released anew on blu-ray. Many know it won two Academy Awards, one for best song, the other for best original score, and was also the first animated feature to get nominated […]
Animation Scoop’s Comic Con Panel: “Cartoon Legends Speak: Diversity in the History of Animation”
August 22nd, 2016 Leslie Combemale Cartoon Legends Speak: Diversity in the History of Animation, the 2016 San Diego Comic Con panel moderated by Leslie Combemale for Animation Scoop, is now viewable for all to see and hear. With the new documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life being released this weekend, it’s the perfect time to remember all the great artists […]
A Whole New World Through the Love of Disney: An interview with the director and subjects of “LIFE, ANIMATED”
July 7th, 2016 Leslie Combemale Opening in wide release around the country is the highly anticipated feature documentary based on Pulitzer prize winner Ron Suskind’s book Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism. If you haven’t heard about this bestseller, it recounts the Suskind family’s experience with their younger son Owen’s autism, and their discovery of how to […]
A Writer’s Secret to Creating “The Secret Life of Pets”: An interview with Brian Lynch
June 27th, 2016 Leslie Combemale The Secret Life of Pets opens nationwide this weekend, going head-to-head with the box office juggernaut Finding Dory. The buzz about this latest feature from Ilumination Entertainment has garnered great buzz, and if it’s as well-received as hoped, maybe it will prove there is room for multiple animation features to find an audience and succeed […]
Women In Animation “Storyboarding Secrets” Panel June 28th
June 23rd, 2016 Leslie Combemale Many who frequent Animation Scoop are aware of the great work that Women in Animation is doing. Apart from the initiative at the cornerstone of their work to create gender equality in the animation industry, reaching “50-50 by 2025”, they strive to educate women all stages of their careers. To that end, they host a […]
Finding Advancement in “FINDING DORY”: An Interview with producer Lindsey Collins
June 16th, 2016 Leslie Combemale Finding Dory, which is releasing nationwide this weekend, has a number of filmmakers involved who have a long history with the characters, having worked on Finding Nemo in 2003. The many advancements in technology in animation since then make it feel like an old classic, but the fans and filmmakers alike have a strong connection […]
INTERVIEW: Margie Cohn, Head of Dreamworks TV Animation on Leading the Studio to 23 Emmy Nominations
April 9th, 2016 Leslie Combemale As anyone in the animation industry, and indeed anyone who follows the world of film and animation knows, an Emmy Award nomination is always to be celebrated. Multiply that by 23, and you can imagine the party-like atmosphere happening at DreamWorks TV, after the news they were nominated for daytime Emmys in a wide variety […]
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THE SCOOP ON PANELS at SDCC 2016: One Girl’s Story of Building Panels Celebrating Women, Diversity, and Wisdom in Animation
It has only been a few months since I started writing for Animation Scoop, and even a shorter time since I’ve had my own column Animation Insights. On the other hand, I’ve been planning my panels at Comic-Con International: San Diego this year almost since my return flight landed last July. Still, as the moderator […]