ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Saturday, December 18, 2004
I have posted my last set of grades for the semester. Free at last, free at last! Now it is right on to Christmas. Speaking of which the ASIFA-Hollywood party was great. Couple hundred animators or so hanging out and talking about animation. I sang a few verses of Deck us all with Boston Charley to Rita Street, hung out with old friends, met new friends, proudly introduced around some of my students that were smart enough to get my message on networking.
I know I said that I would talk a little on the Brad Bird screening at a later date. (This being that later date) I lied. I re-read the stuff over on Animated News and they cover all the bases.
What I will do is pass on some insights from my History of Animation students from Cal State Fullerton. On the final I asked them to give me their favorite fun fact that they got from the class. Here is a sampling of their answers:
I know I said that I would talk a little on the Brad Bird screening at a later date. (This being that later date) I lied. I re-read the stuff over on Animated News and they cover all the bases.
What I will do is pass on some insights from my History of Animation students from Cal State Fullerton. On the final I asked them to give me their favorite fun fact that they got from the class. Here is a sampling of their answers:
- The voice of Boris Badinou was a narc (Paul Frees was not just a voice actor he was also an FBI Special Agent on the Hollywood narcotics squad)
- I learned that there is a Dark Side of the animation history. All the breach of contracts, the strikes, and the backstabbing. I also like the guest speakers that came.
- I`m not sure its really a fact but having Tom Sito come and speak on the strikes really gave us an opportunity to get an insiders point of view. I`ll never forget his pro union speech.
- The guest lecturers, I really enjoyed Tom Sito. I`d write down the paint lady`s name but I forgot what it was. (Martha Sigall)
- Learning about how the industry really works and that the Disney company wasn`t all happy and wonderful as they claimed to be.
- The animation industry was brutally serious! Walt Disney was not as heroic as I thought!
- Flintstones advertised cigarettes!
- That Betty Boop used to be a dog. (Betty was originally designed as a girlfriend for a cartoon dog named Bimbo back when Bimbo meant a tough or gangster)
- I really enjoyed seeing the cartoons that the animation studios and film companies deny ever making. The guest speakers were also amazing.
- All the back stabbing that goes on in this industry. Awesome. Also, I am a new fan of Karl Zeman. I need to get my hands on to Baron Munchhousen.
- Animation does not have to be done by Disney to kick ass! Hertzfeldt rocks! (I showed Rejected in class)
- That Walt Disney was not as charming as I thought he would be. He was a grumpy guy who many animators had mixed feeling about. Walt took things very personally like the strike but at times he can be a sweet man like when he paid for the hospital bills of one of his workers. (Walt left Al Zinnen on the payroll for a year and a half when Al was dying. He also paid for Al`s funeral. * source, Al`s nephew, one of my former students)
- That Speedy Gonzales was based off the animator Frank Gonzales.
- I was most fascinated by the pre Disney portion of the class. I learned a lot that I had not known before taking this course. I think it is good for animators and other in the same field to learn and know as much as possible about the history and heritage of the medium.
Rita Street, just back from Japan, doing something like a dance or maybe cleaning the floor? The party was very large. Steve Worth announced the gift to the archive of the complete Spumco library, black and white popeyes and all. How cool is that? 
Friday, December 17, 2004
Incredibles with Brad Bird
Thursday night screening of the Incredibles with Brad Bird. We all get the sound track at the swag table
Rare shot of Brad without hat. You can see that he really is Buddy, I`m your biggest fan! I will not have time to talk about last night`s event until later because I had to close down 5 different classes today (grades etc.) at 2 different colleges. Until then Animation News has a nice report. Now it is off to the ASIFA-Hollywood party. Hope to see you there. I`ll have more on that later.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Party Invite
Hello,
You're invited to ASIFA-Hollywood's annual Holiday party this
Friday, the 17th of December. It starts at 7:30 pm.
This is a special night because it's your first chance to take a look
at the new location in Burbank that will be the home of ASIFA's
Virtual Archive, Library and Exhibit Space. We have big plans...
Come on down and get the inside scoop!
Come hungry and ready to have fun. There will be plenty of food
and drinks, along with live music by Michael Sullivan. Everyone is
welcome, so bring all your friends.
Your hosts for this party are Jerry Beck, Antran Manoogian, Rita
Street and Steve Worth.
FREE FOOD AND DRINK! LIVE MUSIC! NEW DIGS!
For more info, see the ASIFA-Hollywood website...
http://www.asifa-hollywood.org
You're invited to ASIFA-Hollywood's annual Holiday party this
Friday, the 17th of December. It starts at 7:30 pm.
This is a special night because it's your first chance to take a look
at the new location in Burbank that will be the home of ASIFA's
Virtual Archive, Library and Exhibit Space. We have big plans...
Come on down and get the inside scoop!
Come hungry and ready to have fun. There will be plenty of food
and drinks, along with live music by Michael Sullivan. Everyone is
welcome, so bring all your friends.
Your hosts for this party are Jerry Beck, Antran Manoogian, Rita
Street and Steve Worth.
FREE FOOD AND DRINK! LIVE MUSIC! NEW DIGS!
ASIFA-Hollywood Holiday Party
December 17th 7:30 pm
At the NEW ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center
2114 Burbank Bl
Four blocks East of Buena Vista (near Chili John's!)
For more info, see the ASIFA-Hollywood website...
http://www.asifa-hollywood.org
I`ve talked about The Space Explorers film that Fred Ladd did before. I just got this e-mail talking about how much this film impacted some young viewer. What we do as animators effects those that come after us. Something to think about before you pick up the pencil.
Chuck Scholtz
www.thespaceexplorers.com/guestbook.html
Alive and well. Chuck in Frankfurt.
Larry, I've told you how the kid who played "Jimmy" in "The Space Explorers" grew up to be a big shot with NASA. I thought you might enjoy seeing today's message about others who saw that show when they were kids..and how they feel about it today. (Don't ask me how they disccovered Chuck's web site..'cause I have no idea!)
- Fred Ladd
Chuck Scholtz
www.thespaceexplorers.com/guestbook.html
Alive and well. Chuck in Frankfurt.
Taught my last session of Animaiton History for this semester at Cal State Fullerton. Didn`t get to show as many oddball cartoons as I wanted to. Never enough time. All and all a very good class. Had a lot of fun.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Matt Groening joins Brad Bird at ASIFA-Hollywood screening of the incredibles. Jerry Beck is reporting that Matt is joining Brad at this Thursdays screening at the Writers Guild Theater: cartoonbrew. For more info on the screening go to asifa-hollywood.org or scroll down this page.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
David Derks, one of the hardest working members of the ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Board, has been putting in some hours over at the Annie Award web site. Especially in the awards database area: http://www.annieawards.com/database.htm.
He is not done yet but he has listed all the winners back to 1997 and has the feature winners pictured back to 1992. Good work David.
He is not done yet but he has listed all the winners back to 1997 and has the feature winners pictured back to 1992. Good work David.
