Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have written, directed, and/or produced films we all know and love, such as The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and the recent Oscar nominee The Mitchells vs the Machines. Now, the two are speaking out to better respect and recognition for the animation genre.
The animation community and industry were upset at the Oscars for describing animation as a “children’s genre” and something for “parents to endure”. At the same time, one of the titles nominated for that category, Flee, was a refugee story that was also shortlisted for Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film. Now, the pair of highly acclaimed filmmakers have joined the many voices in demanding Hollywood support animation, rather than diminish it.
In a guest column written for Variety, Lord and Miller shared their disappointment at how the Oscars described animation, pointing out that the “carelessness” has become routine in the industry.
“But to those of us who have dedicated our lives to making animated films, that carelessness has become routine. The head of a major animation studio once told an assembly of animators that, if we played our cards right, we would one day “graduate to live-action.” Years later, an exec at another studio said a certain animated movie we made was so enjoyable that it reminded them of ‘a real movie'”
The Jump Street architects brought to light issues that the animation industry is facing. Most notably, the demand for better work and pay conditions for the animation industry. Lord and Miller mentioned ‘#NewDeal4Animation’ in the column, a call from The Animation Guild for better work conditions for the animation industry after the work they’ve faced during the pandemic.
“But the repeated diminishment of our art form is at the top of animators’ minds. We are currently negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to get studios to pay animation workers fairly, especially when animation is such a large and important part of their bottom lines. (Look up #NewDeal4Animation to learn more!) During the pandemic, when much physical production was shut down, animators began working from home immediately. These films kept our business afloat”.
Essentially, animators are now renegotiating their pay and workload as they were able to provide content on streaming platforms, while live-action films were put on pause or delayed due to COVID-19.
Lastly, Lord and Miller talked about how animation has attracted an adult audience, especially those without kids. They mentioned how the audience for films such as Luca, Raya and the Last Dragon, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines had a large audience of adults. They also pointed out how renowned film directors such as Guillermo del Toro and Bong Joon Ho, both live-action Oscar-winners, have shared their love and appreciation for animation.
“(Seven of the 10 were animated!) Or that 13 (25%!) of the 50 highest-grossing films of all time are animated. Or that a huge percentage of the theatrical audience for mainstream animated films is made up of adults unaccompanied by children. Animation is for everyone. And the studios know it. That’s why we’re seeing unprecedented investment in animation production….
Guillermo del Toro, who produces, directs and deeply appreciates animation, could remind the audience that animation predates cinema, that without the zoetrope, there is no American Zoetrope. Bong Joon Ho could present while explaining why he listed two of this year’s animated feature nominees (“Flee” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines”) among his top 10 favorite movies of the year.”
At the end of their column, Lord and Miller ask for people, especially those of Hollywood, to show better recognition for the genre. They’re asking to celebrate the achievements and contributions that animation has provided, and at the end of the day, they want animation to be taken seriously.