Today is the Tenth Anniversary of the premiere of DreamWorks Animation's first animated feature- The Prince of Egypt.



Just to demonstrate the diversity in the work flow in animation, the directors were-

Simon Wells- a linear descendant of H.G.Wells who was a key animator on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Brenda Chapman- Head of Story on the Lion King who is married to Kevin Lima (Enchanted)

Steve Hickner- Whom I worked with on HeMan, Fat Albert and at Disney, was co-director on A Bee Movie and an exec producer for Amblimation.

Music was done by Hans Zimmer (Lion King, Backdraft)and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked).

Among the crew were Mike Ploog-top cartoonist on Vampirella and other Warren Comics in the 60s, Bruce Zyck, Carter Goodrich, Darek Gogol, Paul Lasaine, Kathy Altieri, Lorenzo Martinez, and a slew of Europeans from Amblimation who came over like Kristof Serrand, Fabio Lignini, Rudolph Guenodon, Patrick Mate' and many more. Cairo native Disney artist Hani El Masri kept trying to get the color designers to pay attention to his own skin" This is what we (Egyptians) look like!"

Among the voice talent considered we auditioned Charlton Heston for Seti, Mel Brooks for Jethro, Patrick McGoohan, and Paul Newman- who turned down the script writing in read pencil all over it " I DON'T DO CARTOONS!" Hmm...what about Cars..?

I storyboarded a lot of the comedy scenes, that were mostly cut out of the movie. We wrestled with how much comedy to drama they could do in a Biblical story. I mentioned that when the Angel of Death passes-over and killed the First Born of Egypt, it might be a good spot to add a cameo of Caspar the Friendly Ghost. Nyuck, Nyuck!



There's an old adage that the more seriously a production takes itself, the more likely the cartoonists will do lots of gags to counter. We kept sticking goof drawings on the main Beat Board to lighten the pretense. So we had Moses hitting Ramses with a big Tex Avery mallet, giving him a hot-foot, and as one of the Plagues of Egypt, ordering a Pizza delivery he didn't want. One time the directors were showing Val Kilmer through the storyboards, when one of these gags turned up. I got in trouble.

It was an unusual process trying to do a film about a Bible Story. Every time there was a discrepancy about a part of the narrative, instead of reaching for the script, everyone whipped out King James Bibles, New Catholic Edition Old Testaments, Torahs and Korans. Steven Speilberg sent us his favorite Rabbi to give us Yeshiva Lessons! " Isn't the colors of Mose's cloak the Spectrum, that he is a prism stone of God's Light?" Effects artist Ester Barr joked:" When we're done, will I get a set of silver-plated Cross Pens?"

Anytime you put out a film with a religious theme, you are opening yourself up to an attack by someone who objects to your interpretation. Even Franco Zefirelli's detailed miniseries JESUS OF NAZARETH was savagely criticized in it's premiere. The studio was so concerned about religious blowback on POE, they were constantly consulting various Clergy- Sufis, Rabbis, Televangelists and other assorted Thumpers. When the film was done, they even gave a preview to the Vatican!( John Paul II was reputed to be a fan of Roger Rabbit). When it ran for the College of Cardinals, Dreamworkers there said their Eminences were " Speechless with Admiration". Which led one exec named Goldstein to joke:" Were they speechless because they liked the film, or that they never knew you could get that many Jews into one movie!"

Another exec was insistent that when we drowned Pharoah's Army in the Red Sea, we should not show that the horses of the charioteers had died. We argued, But it's a cartoon! No one will get upset! But nevertheless, there is shot of Ramses at the edge of the waters where you can see horses galloping out safely.

Despite all the precautions, P.O.E. still got hit with some flack from some quarters. One media preacher got in the news by saying of the film " It's THEIR version of the Moses story." And he over emphasized the BERG in Katzenberg and Speilberg's names. Well, uh... isn't it THEIR book, after all..? Oh well, ya can't please everybody.

The hope that Prince of Egypt would become a seasonal perenial like Cecil B. DeMille's TEN COMMANDMENTS(1956) never quite happened, but it was a great effort and a fun working experience. The film became the maiden shakedown cruise the crew needed to enable future hits like SHREK and KUNG FU PANDA to come.

My best wishes to all the veterans of the crew. Happy Anniversary!

Hmm...maybe if we gave Moses a big funny dog sidekick like Scooby-Doo..? Herro Roses!