"The Simpsons" Divided By 2

"The Simpsons" feature (due in a theatre near you July 27, 2007) is being worked on by two L.A. cartoon studios... Film Roman is doing around half of pre-production work in its new Hollywood Way studio; the other half of pre-production will be taking place at Rough Draft Studios on Brand Blvd. in Glendale. I went through Film Roman this morning, and they are still staffing up for "The Simpson's" theatrical edition. I'm informed the flick is going to be wide screen. Some overtime has already started on the project, and since the Film Roman/IDT studio is currently bursting at the seams, a few "Simpsons, the Feature" artists have been assigned to work at Rough Draft, (It's the U.S. offshoot of the studio with the same name in Korea.) I rambled through the R.D. studio here in late afternoon (How is that possible? Well, we signed a contract with "Rough Draft Feature Animation" in March.) The place occupies a cozy storefront in Glendale's retail district Brand Blvd. A large downstairs space is filled with lots of cubicles and animation desks, awaiting future staff. I spent a good deal of time talking to Film ROman artists who've already moved in. For people keeping track, the Simpsons' big screen adventure is the second hand-drawn feature done in L.A. since Disney's "Home on the Range," wrapped in 2003. "Curious George" was the first. (See? Hand-drawn animation, though on life support, still has a heartbeat.) It looks like staffing on The Simpsons Movie will be considerable, what with some scenes being animated here, and lots of layouts and posing to do. As an artist at Film Roman/IDT said. "We're going to be hustling pretty good for the next year." July 27, 2007, will arrive awfully quick.