No one seemed fazed when a man with a giant inflatable doughnut ran headlong into a crowd of hundreds in downtown Springfield last Sunday.

Not even the woman with sky-high blue hair.

Court Square was, in fact, flooded with a barrage of colorful characters — the Red Angels, a motorcycle group comprised of EMTs and firefighters, jugglers, clowns, and Rudi Scherff, owner of one of the city’s most famous eateries, the Student Prince, among them.

They were there to star in the city’s video entry into The Simpsons Movie Hometown Premiere contest, which pits the Springfields of America against one another, vying for the chance to host the film’s premiere on July 26 (it opens across the country the following day).

It’s a surefire box-office draw that has been 20 years in the making, the first feature film starring the bug-eyed, yellow-hued Simpson family, which was introduced to television viewers in 1987 as a cartoon short on The Tracey Ullman Show. The show secured its own time slot on the Fox network two years later, and ever since, speculation regarding the Springfield in which Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie live has raged on.

A state has never been revealed, a fact that has been closely guarded through years of careful writing and running gags on the show. Some believe it is Springfield Ore., because of its proximity to Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s hometown of Portland.

The residents of Springfield, Vt. contend it could be them — they have a nuclear power plant, after all, as well as a bowling alley.

But others think it’s Springfield, Mass. — a producer or two hails from the area, and no one can deny the eerie resemblance between Mayor Quimby and the Bay State’s senior senator, Ted Kennedy.

The contest to host the premiere is being sponsored by Twentieth Century Fox and USA Today. A total of 14 Springfields were charged with creating a three- to five-minute short film promoting their city or town, and the finished videos will be posted on usatoday.com, where visitors to the site can vote on their favorite.

The rules stipulate that the best short will win the premiere; however, many believe that the ‘true Springfield’ — the one that is home to the Simpsons and their ragtag army of friends and neighbors — will win out in the end.

Marty Langford, senior producer with Veritech in East Longmeadow, said the show has maintained such vague descriptions of The Simpsons’ Springfield that any of the 14 communities competing to host the movie — those in Massachusetts, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Kentucky, Nebraska, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Vermont — could probably find similarities between the fictionalized Springfield and their own.

However, he hopes a little creativity and local collaboration will seal the deal for the City of Homes.

“We have similarities — they have a Memorial Bridge, we have a Memorial Bridge,” he said. “I think any town can find parallels. I’m sure many of them have quirky mayors or some of the same landmarks.

“What I hope will make us stand out is the actual video — we’ve worked to create something that people won’t expect,” he continued, “And if we can surprise them, we hope they will walk away feeling satisfied and engaged.”

The mayor’s office was the first to receive word of the contest, and placed a request for proposals on its Web site.

“They were flooded with calls from people who wanted to take part in some way,” said Langford, who first became involved when his colleague, multimedia producer and filmmaker David Horgan of Horgan Associates, made an initial call to Mayor Charles Ryan and then began wrangling a team to help him create an entry into the contest for Springfield, Mass. “We are both tied into the production community of Western Mass., and knew we could solicit writers, animators, and other professionals to get this project off the ground.”

Horgan and Langford set out to use the talents and resources of a number of businesses and professionals in the area. To handle the writing, filming, and production of the entry, Veritech volunteered the use of its studio for shoots, while New York Sound and Motion on Carando Drive in Springfield handled the final edit, Del Padre Visual Productions in East Longmeadow created animations, and Rotary Records in East Longmeadow assisted with sound production. Scott Kittredge, a graphic designer for Hasbro, and Karl Konopka, a screenwriter, also joined the team, while public relations specialist and political consultant Tony Cignoli, president of the A. Cignoli Company, assisted with logistics. He also secured Sen. Kennedy for a brief appearance in the film.

“This is the cool thing,” Langford said. “Many of us are actually competing companies — four specialize in video production, and are located within a 20-mile radius of each other — and we worked together collaboratively to make this happen.”

Other local businesses jumped on board as well. For some of the studio-based shots, Bob’s Discount Furniture provided a couch, and Sullivan Paper donated the printing of some promotional items. Off-site filming took place at WWLP Channel 22’s studios in Chicopee, JR’s Flea Market in Agawam, and a number of other locales in or around Springfield, such as the banks of the Connecticut River and in Court Square, where last week’s group shot was filmed.

The latter took on a carnival feel, with bounce houses provided by Showcase Cinemas and custom Simpson-inspired hairdos by the stylists of DiGrigoli Salons. Peter Pan Bus Lines loaned its 1939 concept bus and one of its double-decker tour buses for the filming as well.

The film crew consisted entirely of volunteers — one $200 donation was made to the endeavor, Langford said, which paid for wigs, paint, and food for the actors, most of whom also volunteered their time.

“No one we approached said ‘no’ when we asked them to be involved,” said Langford. “I think they realize that this could be something great for the city. Are we going to build a museum if we win? No, but it’s definitely an opportunity that is exploitable.”

Indeed, while not everyone is a fan of the long-running series, Langford said The Simpsons represents an important piece of pop culture, especially to those who’ve grown up with the family (even though they stay the same age year after year).

“Some may think the Simpsons are just terrible little yellow people, but different generations look to different things to define a period of time,” he said. “Plus, The Simpsons is a politically minded, socially conscious show, and its fans know that. It’s also damn funny.”

The Springfield, Mass. production team is keeping the actual plot of its entry largely under wraps, but the video includes both live acting and animated components, a number of different sets, and was filmed over six days. Even if Massachusetts doesn’t win the title, Langford said a local premiere of the video entry and a ‘making-of’ special will be shown in the area at a date to be announced.

Each Springfield had about 30 days to create their short films, showcasing the communties’ ‘Simpson Spirit.’ Twentieth Century Fox provided each with key filmmaking tools, including a digital video camera, a replica of the Simpsons’ couch, promotional posters, digital files of the film’s logo and character art, and Simpsons-yellow paint. Only one Springfield, in Minnesota, bowed out of the contest.

The winning city will be announced on or about July 10. If Springfield, Mass. wins, Fox will roll out the yellow carpet for the first screening of The Simpsons Movie and will welcome several hundred guests, who will also receive free tickets and concessions.

Langford said the true reward, though, will come after the premiere, when the winner will be able to add ‘The Simpsons’ Springfield’ to their list of draws.
“This is something the convention and visitors bureau can add to their materials as one more thing that makes the city unique,” he said.

Springfield, Mass. would also have an opportunity to add to its already-colorful legacy of hosting brightly-colored, slightly misanthropic cartoons — the city was home to Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, and now houses the national Dr. Seuss Memorial, where the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, and Thing 1 and Thing 2, among other characters, currently reside.

But there’s always room for doughnuts.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at stevenson@businesswest.com