Great catering! That is what I shouted to my co host for the nights proceedings at the after party...(cough IAM8BIT should hire them) I coughed while enjoying the company of all the animators that make all cartoons we and love. Everyone was amused maybe even more so than usual. They had been witnesses to events that only people who were streaming the event could possibly understand.
If you want to know the winners here's the result page and just to be nominated is praise among other animators btw. I'm kind of amazed Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet won for best game animation, it had some stiff competition.
The results so matter, but what happened during the course of the event matters more. It's been happening for 39 years now, so you'd think it be a run of the mill the night. You'd be dead wrong, more hilarity ensued then may be possible, forget Ricky Gervais, forget some guy running naked through the Oscars. The 39th Annie Awards has you beat.
Rango one big and that's not the stor, I'm going to tell. The story I'm going to tell is that of the director of the Annie's. The director might be a monkey or some sort of a person in a straight jacket. Problems started simple enough with the camera capturing people walking in between shots on the big screen, which made little sense when there was a camera in the balcony that could get shots. The director also chose not to switch to another camera when a camera was getting critical focus, which wasn't the end of the world. But, then other things started going wrong. Patton Oswalt, who was a delight at hosting, was about to end saying something, when music got very loud, he yelled, "No!" as he look bewildered as why music came out of nowhere to stop him. He wasn't someone winning for Rango or Kung Fu Panda 2. It was a good laugh for the audience, yet it started telling you things were amiss.
Very funny things. The award show grew dim as the lights were raised as a presenter was called up. It seems someone forgot to get him from the audience. Patton stepped on stage to give a little bio about him, but the teleprompter wasn't feeling up to giving that info. So on the spot Patton Oswalt made up a bio, a bio about the presenter inventing anti-gravity and other fun comic wit. Once again we all laughed.That presenter also left early, which astonished Patton and us as usually a presenter does two categories. Not this one.
Other presenters met other funny grim fates. As music played for one winner to go up on stage and two presenters danced two the "get on stage music" the camera went to someone who might be getting up. The presenter were relived, but then that person disappeared. Was he even the person getting the award. As they danced and looked behind stage and danced some more and as the camera had people walk by it we all pondered what was going on. Eventually after looking behind stage one presenter said something like all take it for them. Patton who lives for such things drenched in pure awkwardness captivated us again with laughter.
The night grew on, nothing else could go wrong. A hilarious bit between Brian Poshen and Jame Hong about Poshen's health relieved tension. Tara strong faked kissed a girl and I liked it. Everything was going still somewhat fine UNTIL Bridgit Mendler, Jason Marsden and Brittany Snow got a stage. What could this trio of two hot girls and short man who voices a lot of cartoons do. Oh, such....great ...things. You see after a comedic routine from the prompter that didn't pan out, Ms. Snow opened and envelope, and envelope for the wrong category. As shocks and slight screams with mixed in laughter came from the audience to the words "The Amazing World of Gumball" the three stooges on stage looked at each other and then at us. As they tried to joke there way out or really Jason did as the girls cringed away. Jason yelled for Patton. Oh, did Patton come. He threw his jacket to the floor and walked over to them and said" Okay, what happened?!" . Not only was Patton funny, but he was not paying attention until this point. As Patton calmly saved the show and made jokes towards the hot girls, I nearly died of laughter. " I love the Annie's" I exclaimed to my friend a fellow TTDILA reporter Natalie outside at the after party. She agreed as we ate yummy food.
from another site
At the after-awards dinner party, Rango director Gore Verbinski remarked that the show was “The strangest thing I’ve ever seen"
My favorite part is that all other media outlets haven't written that much about these proceedings, they just gave a list or a short Rango wins at the Annie's. I guess all other outlets left after they got some quotes on the red carpet.
The Annie's are the best award show in LA, forget the Oscars. If you want a night to remember you head to Royce Hall. Phil Lamar your great!