He very strongly endorsed getting traditional animation or 2d training: "It will only serve you." He reccommended taking life drawing classes, etc....and getting the most out of your degree, whether at art/animation school or a tradtional university.
A couple of people also asked if he sees the traditional animated musical returning; it seemed like he was very much in favor of it, but felt that it is important to "reinvent the wheel" for today's audiences (he didn't specify what) because if you do the musicals EXACTLY as they were done in the early '90s they "wouldn't work particularly well today."
He is a very big Jerry Seinfeld fan which was one of the reasons why he chose him to produce Bee Movie. "I don't think any comedian has given me more laughter." He also said that Bee Movie is extremely different in tone, pacing, and story from past animated films. (again, he didn't specifiy much beyond this) He said that he realizes that Seinfeld isn't known all that much outside America, Canada and some of Europe, but he hopes that the "observational sense of humor will translate."
He sees the "Next frontier" in animation as being in "India...a place of great opportunity for us."
When asked how he feels about new SFX done in film, (ostentibly motion capture) he said he feels those kind of effects are better suited to live-action films and are "not aesthetically appealing to me" and while used in animated films come off as "somewhat lifeless" Although they capture an actor's movements "I'd rather see the real actor." Here here!
The student he came with to give the speech was Mahesh Ramasubramanian, Cornell M.S. '00, who was enrolled in the computer graphics department. He is in charge of SFX for DW animated films (meaning, I guess, things like bright light, shiny objects, rain, mud, fur, grass, etc...) and is supervising the SFX on Bee Movie.
Here's a pic via the Cornell news service!
Since he's at the lecturn I think this was when he introduced the Shrek clips.
