AMPAS Hosts 'What's Opera, Doc? Animation and Classical Music,' Workshop, 5/14

Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino ("Ratatouille," "Up") will guide audience members through some of the most inspired and memorable uses of classical music in animation in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) "What's Opera, Doc? Animation and Classical Music" on May 14 at 7:30 pm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. He will be joined by Academy Music Branch governor Bruce Broughton ("Silverado," "The Rescuers Down Under") and Oscar-winning animated feature director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.," "Up").

Whether serving as the soundtrack for a Mickey Mouse comedy like "The Band Concert" (1935), a Bugs Bunny operatic parody like "What's Opera, Doc?" (1957), or the symphonic and visual masterpiece "Fantasia" (1940), classical music has had a strong influence on animated films since they were first synchronized with sound.

This installment of the Academy's Marc Davis Celebration of Animation is presented in conjunction with the citywide "Ring Festival LA" as well as the Academy's new Chuck Jones exhibition. The evening will include big-screen presentations of the animated shorts "Music Land" (1935), "A Corny Concerto" (1943), "The Rabbit of Seville" (1950) and more. For a complete list of shorts, please visit http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2010/operadoc.html.

Following the program, the Academy will hold extended viewing hours for "Chuck Jones: An Animator's Life from A to Z-Z-Z-Z" and "The Fantastical Worlds of Ray Harryhausen."

Tickets for "What's Opera, Doc? Animation and Classical Music" will go on sale Wednesday, April 28. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the program when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000. In addition to the annual Academy Awards, the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history.