Disney's Recess

Ritz Carleton in San Francisco, CA on August 3, 2001

with Paul Germain (Creator, Producer, Story by & Dialogue Director)
and Joe Ansolabehere (Creator, Producer & Story by)

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing two bright, creative, and idealistic filmmakers, Paul Germain and Joe Ansolbehere. Paul and Joe are the captains of the creative team behind Nickelodeon's RUGRATS and Disney's RECESS.

Many of you may have seen RECESS during its theatrical release, however, the DVD comes out this week (August 7th), featuring behind-the-scenes information and footage that did not appear in the theatrical version. RECESS is a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family and appreciated on different levels. This interview may shed some light on the idealistic tone of the film (now DVD), that gives a voice to the inner child in all of us.

Paul and Joe gave some background information about how criticism of the television series influenced the story for the feature release.

PG: When we were doing the series, one the things we got criticized for was that people thought we were putting down teachers which was never something that we intended to do. The way we play the teachers if from a kid's point of view that the teachers are a sort of antagonists and yet another obstacle you have to get past on the playground.

JA: And that was really unfair criticism because both of our parents are teachers: Paul's dad's a teacher; my dad's a teacher; his mom's a teacher.

PG: But we thought- 'Okay now, we're making a movie, now let's address this. Let's turn this around.' So we started out making a movie where everyone is in his traditional role... TJ's dissing on Principal Prickly and he's punishing him; the typical situation we had set up in the series, but then, as the story progresses, the two of them have to unite and fight this common enemy... A big theme in the movie is the teachers are your friends, they are going to defend you; they are going to stand up for the school with you.

JA: And also, for the adults, don't forget that you were a kid once too- both ways. Because we are also dealing with this world right now with this movement across the country to get rid of recess... and it's sort of a deeper thing that that, a sign and a part of a general feeling that we have to train our kids to be harder, tougher adults, and be able to be economic warriors... but do we really want to be Japan? do we really want to have that kind of world?... I don't want my kids to feel like they have to take tests every year to see what school they are going to allowed to go to.

PG: It's like what's the point of living to a certain extent.

JA: One of the great things about this country is that we do have that freedom to be creative because everything that we have done that has been great have come out of our creativity.

PG: But, they are building schools in places like Atlanta, Georgia without playgrounds.

KA: And a lot of the creative programs are being cut.

PG: Yeah.

JA: Oh absolutely.

In regards to life as a creative-type in Hollywood:

PG: We were very lucky that, the field we are in and the way we got into it, we were able to let other people focus on the business side of things, to some extent I do that (business side), but generally we can concentrate on the creative side of things and other people will run the business side of things and it works out.

KA: But sometimes people exploit the creative side.

PG: Yes, sometimes, but were used to it. (jokingly) You go in knowing that you get exploited, so it works out well.

JA: ... I think in the past we (Americans) have always prided ourselves on being innovative... and yet now- what are we doing? we want to be the Germans so we are regimented people?? That's not who we are. So we just thought- ' we have to defend this ideal on some level' (creative freedom and children's rights to enjoy their time as kids). [He then went on to describe how a young child from Bakersfield, CA wrote a letter to the local paper defending a child's right to recess because apparently Gray Davis is considering shortening summer vacation in the State of California. Joe and Paul were pleased to see a child stand up for his rights and take an active voice in the political process- so am I].

In regards to politics and apathy:

JA: ...We have always looked for that spirit of freedom and that spirit of hopefulness and idealism. And, I think when we were making the movie, we decided that at some point, in connecting to the teachers, we wanted to do a flashback to show them when they were these young idealistic teachers.

KA: That was very funny. I remember having some teachers like that.

JA: So did we.

PG: We got to in a sense do our own idealistic version of teachers.

JA: We also got to do our own idealistic version of our parents because our parents were teachers at this time and we were too young to really see them in that way.

PG: That is what I was looking for when I went to Berkeley (U.C. Berkeley) was the sixties.

JA: So it was kind of a cool connection for us because we go to show them this way (young and idealistic) and also do a commentary on exactly what you said that the flip-side is that there were people who were always following the trend and just buying into the trend, and were using it for their own reasons like the James Woods character...

KA: I think you did a good job of making it interesting for adults but comprehendible by a child.

JA: Yes, it needs to be digestible for a kid.

KA: So, why didn't you write the script? (credited as Story by Paul & Joe)

PG: We co-wrote it with John Greenberg, one of the writers from RUGRATS... We all kind of worked on it together.

KA: Were there other people from RUGRATS who worked with you on RECESS?

PG: A lot of artists who worked on the series (of RECESS) are people who worked on THE SIMPSONS and RUGRATS. For example, our Art Director is a guy named Eric Keyes who worked on THE SIMPSONS (main character designer and did the backgrounds) back in the day and he worked on RUGRATS (storyboard and animator)... There is this very small group of people who have all worked together for years and years, and we're always kind of going back to that.

JA: Chuck Sheetz

PG: Chuck Sheetz has been a SIMPSONS a guy and KING OF THE HILL.

JA: There is a group of people we sort of brought along with us to Disney.

KA: Why did you go with Disney versus Paramount after your success with RUGRATS on Nickelodeon?

PG: ...The fact of the matter is that there was one particular guy by the name of Jay Fukuto at Disney who had seen RUGRATS and was trying to get us in (at Disney during the 1980s)... Then in about 1996, the day that we had a meeting there the day that it was announced that they had just bought ABC and all of their executives had gone over to DreamWorks...

JA: So they brought in this woman named Geri Laybourne whom we really liked; who had been the main vision behind Nickelodeon...

PG: So it felt like this moment when they said we are really going to let you do this (create an animated series with a high level of creative freedom). So we said 'Okay, we will stay here for a year. We will develop a show for you. We won't take any assignments from you, but if we come up with a show and you like, then we will make it for you. If not, then we will go our separate ways.' They said great. We pitched RECESS. And this guy named Dean Valentine said 'I love it'.

JA: And there is a guy named Barry Blumberg who has been our defender from the very beginning. And he's made sure that we were allowed to do what we wanted to do, after we convinced him...He's been a really good person for saying 'I trust them. I know what they are saying. I know what they are doing' and he agrees with us a lot of times, and sometimes he doesn't.

PG: Strangely, it seems to us that Disney is the one willing to do new things at this time.

KA: So you felt that Disney was pretty supportive?

PG: Disney was extremely supportive and remains so. We've been able to do all the things that we have wanted to do and do them our way. And we have another show on called LLOYD IN SPACE which is our junior high/ middle school show and we have been able to get even wilder-

JA: In our defense, it's not like we have ever let them down. We have always given them shows that were successful. (RECESS provided an excellent return on investment because it did not cost a lot to make and it has grossed a lot at the box office, over $36 million, and promises to do well during its home release onto DVD and video).

KA: One of the voices sounded familiar to me- Bobby from KING OF THE HILL? Was that Spinelli?

PG: Yes, that's Spinelli. Spinelli is played by a woman named Pam Segall, who I have used for years. She did peripheral characters on RUGRATS. She is the only adult on the show, all the rest are kids. She also does stuff on the SIMPSONS quite regularly... She was in SAY ANYTHING (Paul was an Associate Producer for) and she was a little kid in GREASE 2.

KA: I was going to ask you about your transition from live action to animation...

PG: The transition was like slipping on a banana peel. Basically what happened is I was working on THE TRACY ULLMAN SHOW, after working on BIG and BROADCAST NEWS.

KA: I loved it when it was on (THE TRACY ULLMAN SHOW).

PG: Producing for TV is nerve-wracking, especially as an associate producer... I sort of fell into doing the one minute SIMPSONS cartoons. And not being an animator, I sort of did them like they were live action and that was my favorite part of the job. (A lot of the fun stemmed from the creative freedom they experiences since the cartoons were such a small part of the show. Although, I began to tune in regularly when the cartoons became a regular segment.)

KA: How do the animators treat you since you are not former animators yourselves?

PG: You know it took a while to win them over because to a certain point they felt like we were intruders-

JA: The bad guys... In every show on TV either the animator's boss or the writer's boss...

PG: When we went to Disney. We made a very conscious decision that are going to make this a team. We are going to make everyone work together for a common vision.

JA: And I think people didn't believe us really.

PG: Yeah. For example there was this one guy who was an animator, by the name of Howy Parkins, who is our director now on LLOYD IN SPACE...

JA: And we knew him from RUGRATS

PG: but there was this sort of standoffish hostility at first. Then at a certain point he came in and said 'You know what, I understand what you are doing now. I get it. I think this is great. I want to do this with you.' Now we just work as a team. There is no friction. We work as a team.

KA: What advice would you give to new aspiring filmmakers?

PG: Go out and get yourself a digital video camera, and shoot whatever you want and make a movie and don't wait. Just do it now!

JA: My advice would be: they're gonna tell you that you are no good. And they're gonna tell you that you can't do it and that it's impossible, but they're all wrong. Just keep doing it. Keep working hard.

PG: Just do it! (jokingly but serious at the same time about the sentiment).