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» Culture And Arts » Marija Miletic Dail 1934-2022 filmmaker from "Zagreb Film" Croatia to her "Animation Cottage" USA
Marija Miletic Dail 1934-2022 filmmaker from "Zagreb Film" Croatia to her "Animation Cottage" USA
For her film "Think Earth" she won Presidential award in 1992
Marija Miletić, Croatia, at the age of 18 (in 1952).
Summary. Maria Miletić Dail started at "Zagreb Film" in Croatia, continued as animator in Canada and Hollywood, worked upward into the position of director and producer. She was interested in meaningful filmmaking using original ideas. Worked in own "Animation Cottage" studio with twenty artists on ABC network series of specials. Tried to keep all work inside USA. She lectured at UCLA, CalArts and CCLA on animation. For her film "Think Earth" she won Presidential award in 1992. Her husband Sukhdev S. Dail (from India, Sikh) she prepared a few films dealing with Indian themes.
Marija Miletić Dail with her husband Sukhdev Singh Dail.
Many thanks to Mr. Singh Dail for sending us this photo.
Marija Miletić Dail September 6, 1934 - October 9, 2022
Marija Miletić Dail, devoted wife, loving mother, trailblazing professional and a friend to countless individuals, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, just four days after celebrating 48 years of marriage to Sukhdev Dail.
Her professional life began in her homeland of Croatia as the first woman to earn the position of animator at world-renowned Zagreb Film. Fleeing communist Yugoslavia, she emigrated first to Canada and then settled in the United States, after being personally invited by Bill Hanna to work at Hanna-Barbera Studios. Working at a number of famous animation studios, she rose through the ranks before retiring from Universal Studios as a director and producer.
During her imaginative decades of life, she created several short films as a solo artist, including her award-winning film "Why Not?". Marija was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; she took seriously her responsibility to vote for the good work of her colleagues and thoroughly enjoyed attending the Oscars.
Marija is survived by her beloved husband, Sukhi, daughters Mirna (Brad) and Vera (Dave), sons Mavi and Pixote, grandchildren David (Yoon), Christopher (Malaika), Brina (Kamyl), Dawson, Adric, Cailin (Marcus), Siraj and Mali. There are also many unofficial offspring whom she took under her wing. She would bring home people she met in line at the grocery store because they were alone at Thanksgiving. She delivered her famous palačinka and Turkish coffee to neighbours on countless mornings. Everyone who met her felt enriched after leaving her company. Now she has left our company, but we are all the richer for the years she was with us.
Marija Miletić Dail with Dr. Franjo Tuđman, when he visited her Animation Cottage Studio
in Hollywood in 1990 or 1991. Marija was developing the project for American-Croatian legend Joe Magarac,
which interested Dr Tuđman. After the independence of Croatia, Mrs and Mr Daily met with
president Tuđman in his office in Zagreb. It was a lengthy discussion about the future of Zagreb film studio.
President Tuđman offered Marija to take over, and make it as  functional as is in the west.
Sadly, it didn’t materialize, since at that time Marija was directing and producing at Universal studios.
Many thanks to Mr. Singh Dail for his explanations and for sending us this photo (on the photo behind his wife).
What is your name and your current occupation? I am Marija Miletic Dail, semi-retired filmmaker/animator/director/producer (whew!!sorry), did I mention lint picker?
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? Some of the craziest jobs I had as a young immigrant, were the ones that kept my body and soul together; like canning peaches in season, driving a forklift, waitressing (is that a word?), picking worms at night on golf courses for fishermans bait... and such.
What are some of your favorite projects you're proud to have been a part of? Directing the opening piece for the 1984 Olympic Games, my own sort subjects, one of which won "The best of animation" at an International Film Fest. in Switzerland in 197?. something.I liked working on "Cave kids" for H-B, for I was given full creative control in choosing a different style for the imaginary part of each special. Enjoyed working with Iwao Takamoto on Heidi's storyboard and some experimental animation. I also enjoyed very much being an illustrator for a daily newspaper in my country, just before I started working in animation.
How did you become interested in animation, where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? I started working at the "Zagreb film" studio in Croatia (former Yugoslavia). I was born in Zagreb, Croatia, the city full of art culture. I used to draw since I was able to hold a pencil and always wanted to be an artist. While still in high school I became an illustrator for a daily newspaper. I loved comics, and made my own as a child, but also sold my first comic strip at the age of 18 yrs. old to a local weekly newspaper. The story ran for 28 weeks, and I was able to buy a winter coat for my brother with the money I earned. There was a contest for artists, because a cartoon studio was to start a production, and I applied. There were over 100 applicants, but only ten were taken, and I was one of them. That's how I started in animation, and the animation bug has never left me!
What's a typical day like for you with regards to your job? When I started my own studio in N. Hollywood, "Animation Cottage", I wanted to be on the "cutting edge" so I got our first computer in 1989. We worked in DOS, before the Windows. It was a painstaking process, but we made a small 8 min, film "Think Earth", which won the Presidential award in 1992. So, my every days starts, then and now, with computers. Then with a clone Olivetti and DOS with million bugs and problems, and today with PC and MAC without prob...oops, I am not supposed to lie, right?
What part of your job do you like best? Why? The best of every job is the actual process; the idea, the writing, boarding, etc. Why? Because that's how one keeps alive, the batteries are charging, the sky is opening up! What part of your job do you like least? Why? Sometimes I get ahead of myself and have to re-do a part of the job that I got too enthused about, and didn't plan as well as I should have. I try not to repeat this mistake too often. What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business? The difficult part used to be when one has to look for a job and change studios. Self promotion was not my strong point.
What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis? I work wit DigiCel and ToonBoom software, as well as the usual I-movie, Adobe myriad software. Once tried Maya and after I built a temple and a giant hand, I gave it up. Don't have enough time to learn it all. I still love to animate on paper.
In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness? I work wit DigiCel and ToonBoom software, as well as the usual I-movie, Adobe myriad software. Once tried Maya and after I built a temple and a giant hand, I gave it up. Don't have enough time to learn it all. I still love to animate on paper.
Started at "Zagreb Film" in Croatia, continued as animator in Canada and Hollywood, worked upward into the position of director and producer. Interested in meaningful filmmaking using original ideas. Worked in own "Animation Cottage" studio with twenty artists on ABC network series of specials. Tried to keep all work inside USA. I worked at Marvel and Universal studios, successfuly directing and producing many a series, on time and on budget, enabling some of them to be sold to the very choosy public television, simply because they were beautifully executed and well timed. I am proud of the fact that I take great care of how a project is executed. I believe art should never be far removed from filmmaking, especially animation. Lectured at UCLA, CalArts and CCLA on animation. Working on two feature film presentations, one 2d and one 3D, as well as on a fully illustrated book "Daily life in Pixletown".
Specialties: story writing and editing, directing, producing, storyboarding, animating, illustrating, ToonBoom animation software, Photoshop, I-movie, After Effects and Capuccino!
Joe Magarac, a hero to steel workers of Pensylvania, was born from the Allegheny Mountain's iron ore, helped workers to organize, experience unrequited love, and returned to the foothills of Alleghenies to become part of them again. (The workers are a mixture of immigrants, with the strong emphasis on Croatian, so that even the protagonists have pure Croatian names, like the foreman Mestrovic, Mary's lover Pusic, and including Magarac, which only in Croatian means "a burden carrying animal, donkey".) The legend was born either at the end of 19th century or the beginning of the 20th, when Carnegy employed the Pinkertons to "quiet down" the workers. However, Joe Magarac came to rescue just at the right time.
Joe Magarac was for steel workers what John Henry was for iron /railroad men. A genuine American legend born in the midst of steel mills of Pennsylvania at the end of 19th century; the legend woven by the immigrants from Europe. The protagonists have typical Croatian names, as does Joe Magarac, but there are other nationalities comprising the mixture with people from Hungary, Poland, Sweden, etc. Joe arrives at times of need, when he rescues men from certain death, but there is much more than that; there is love and hate, politics and survival, industry and mystery. This is the beginning of the story, and more is to come shortly. It is supposed to be a feature film by Marija Miletic Dail.
Directed by Sukhdev S. Dail and Marija Miletic Dail
Sukhdev Singh Dail and Marija Miletić Dail. Photo from 1888.
Mr. and Mrs. Dail (left and right) in Delhi in 1982, with Mrs Begum Abida the First Lady of India, who inaugurates the art exhibition of Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dail. Source.
PIXLETOWN
Winged Horses of Apocalypse by Sukhdev S. Dail Produced by Marija Miletic Dail Animated Cottage Productions
