ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Saturday, January 15, 2005
A Moving Message
I am setting in the library at Mission Viejo High School minding the computers at my daughter`s Model UN conference. I would rather be moving archive boxes in Burbank but I was way committed to this gig before we decided on the date for the Archive move.
There was a mess up on meeting places for the archive move, I swear Antran told me that we would meet at the new place and he swears that he told me we would meet at the old place. Since I am writing this we can take it as fact that I was right, right?
That is not really what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is our volunteers. They waited and when no one showed they went looking. Linda Lee drove over to the old building and looked. She then called the group and the move, moved on.
Not only are they giving of their time but they care enough about ASIFA and the archives to wait and look and find out when they had an easy out. Antran really did tell me to have everybody meet at the new building, he did!
There was a mess up on meeting places for the archive move, I swear Antran told me that we would meet at the new place and he swears that he told me we would meet at the old place. Since I am writing this we can take it as fact that I was right, right?
That is not really what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is our volunteers. They waited and when no one showed they went looking. Linda Lee drove over to the old building and looked. She then called the group and the move, moved on.
Not only are they giving of their time but they care enough about ASIFA and the archives to wait and look and find out when they had an easy out. Antran really did tell me to have everybody meet at the new building, he did!
32nd Annie Awards Ballot Mailed
The 32nd Annie Awards Ballot was mailed this last Wednesday, the 12th of January. If you are an active member of ASIFA-Hollywood you should have received your ballot mailing by now. If you have not received you ballot, you need to contact ASIFA-Hollywood to ask about it.
The deadline for mailing them back is January 21st (must be received by that date). But I always hand mine in at the last screening after I have finished marking my ballot.
The screening are this week on the 18th, (Frank Wells Theater at Disney) 19th and 20th at Dreamworks Campus. (See Below)
RSVP for the screenings was by e-mail and directions are to be e-mailed out to attendees at the start of next week.
The artwork (storyboards, character design, etc) will be on display at the screenings.
You have to be on the list to get in. Studio security is very tight since 9/11 and I for one am glad it is, even if Warner Bros. does go through the trunk of my car. Hope to see you all there, at the screenings not in the trunk of my car.
The deadline for mailing them back is January 21st (must be received by that date). But I always hand mine in at the last screening after I have finished marking my ballot.
The screening are this week on the 18th, (Frank Wells Theater at Disney) 19th and 20th at Dreamworks Campus. (See Below)
RSVP for the screenings was by e-mail and directions are to be e-mailed out to attendees at the start of next week.
The artwork (storyboards, character design, etc) will be on display at the screenings.
You have to be on the list to get in. Studio security is very tight since 9/11 and I for one am glad it is, even if Warner Bros. does go through the trunk of my car. Hope to see you all there, at the screenings not in the trunk of my car.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Looking for Crusader Rabbit
The other day I found a Crusader Rabbit VHS from the mid 70`s. I checked the box back and it raved about Jay Ward`s first creation (Sorry Alex, they forgot about you). At last, I think, the black and white masterpiece. But no it was the TV Spot color piece of crap again. They just packaged it to make people think it was the real thing.
Who owns what is always strange in Hollywood. Jay and Alex got screwed when Jerry Fairbanks folded. Then they got blackmailed out of the master copyright. Now after all these years it has passed to Fox. So Fox owns the rights to the first every made for TV animation and they have it locked up it a vault somewhere and could care less about people that would love to see it, show it to my students.
Some time ago Rhino brought out some VHS Crusader Rabbits, thinking it was in public domain. Fox cared enough about their property to stop them cold. Made them pull them from from the shelves. So why don`t they care enough to put them out themselves?
If anybody from Fox is reading this. Come on guys, DVD`s are cheap. Give us a break. Open your vaults. I promise to push it for all I am worth and buy the complete set. And if anybody has a copy of the Rhino VHS my birthday is coming up.
Who owns what is always strange in Hollywood. Jay and Alex got screwed when Jerry Fairbanks folded. Then they got blackmailed out of the master copyright. Now after all these years it has passed to Fox. So Fox owns the rights to the first every made for TV animation and they have it locked up it a vault somewhere and could care less about people that would love to see it, show it to my students.
Some time ago Rhino brought out some VHS Crusader Rabbits, thinking it was in public domain. Fox cared enough about their property to stop them cold. Made them pull them from from the shelves. So why don`t they care enough to put them out themselves?
If anybody from Fox is reading this. Come on guys, DVD`s are cheap. Give us a break. Open your vaults. I promise to push it for all I am worth and buy the complete set. And if anybody has a copy of the Rhino VHS my birthday is coming up.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
If any of you are interested in really touching animation history and are free this Saturday morning, ASIFA-Hollywood is moving the archives.
Saturday Jan. 15th
9 AM
2114 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank
If you can`t get there right at 9, just show up when you can. There will be people there all day.
Saturday Jan. 15th
9 AM
2114 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank
If you can`t get there right at 9, just show up when you can. There will be people there all day.
This in from Jon Reeves, our ASIFA Volunteer of the of the month. As I mentioned in his bio he is very involved in the design and building of the Burbank float for the Rose Parade. He sent along information about the design contest is case any of our readers was interested.
DESIGN06.pdf
Key information: Deadline is January 26. Parade theme is magic, as in enchantment, not as in rabbit-in-hat (actual theme to be announced January 21). Black-and-white sketch, max size 11x17.
Float-building volunteers also welcome - we especially need carvers and people who can do welded sculpture. We usually build a mini-float for Burbank on Parade in late April, then start on the main float around May/June, working mostly on Saturdays at our construction site in the Burbank Water and Power yard. (Starting in October/November, we usually add more work sessions.)
Jon Reeves
The Internet Movie Database http://imdb.com My God! It's full of stars!
DESIGN06.pdf
Key information: Deadline is January 26. Parade theme is magic, as in enchantment, not as in rabbit-in-hat (actual theme to be announced January 21). Black-and-white sketch, max size 11x17.
Float-building volunteers also welcome - we especially need carvers and people who can do welded sculpture. We usually build a mini-float for Burbank on Parade in late April, then start on the main float around May/June, working mostly on Saturdays at our construction site in the Burbank Water and Power yard. (Starting in October/November, we usually add more work sessions.)
Jon Reeves
The Internet Movie Database http://imdb.com My God! It's full of stars!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Return to the Classroom
There is this story exercise I do with my Research and Development classes on the first day of class. It is called the Squiggle Exercise. I start by drawing a meaningless squiggle on the board. I then look at the shapes until I can identify the shape of some kind of character. Then I draw in that character.
I draw another squiggle and hand the marker to one of the students. That student finds the character in that shape, creates another abstract shaped squiggle and passes it off to the next student and so on around the class.
At the end of the first phase we have a board full of characters. Then we do a mini biography for each character. And finally we bounce the characters off of each other to see how they react.
There was an Elvis impersonator toucan heading to Los Vegas for an impoersonator contest, a female laming that refused to follow leaders, and a failed specter of death thinking that he failed with Elvis because of all the Elvis impersonators.
Yesterday everything clicked. All the pieces fell into place and at a certain point I could step back, raise my arms, and say to the class we have a story.
The look on their faces when they realized that we did, in fact, have a story and a very good story and that we got it for free out of our unconscious minds was well worth the price of admission.
I called a break right after this exercise, I know enough about teaching to know that you can`t top that kind of thing, and all the students stayed in their seats talking about the story, fleshing it out. I watched them for a little bit, smiled to myself, and then headed out to the room of rest.
I draw another squiggle and hand the marker to one of the students. That student finds the character in that shape, creates another abstract shaped squiggle and passes it off to the next student and so on around the class.
At the end of the first phase we have a board full of characters. Then we do a mini biography for each character. And finally we bounce the characters off of each other to see how they react.
There was an Elvis impersonator toucan heading to Los Vegas for an impoersonator contest, a female laming that refused to follow leaders, and a failed specter of death thinking that he failed with Elvis because of all the Elvis impersonators.
Yesterday everything clicked. All the pieces fell into place and at a certain point I could step back, raise my arms, and say to the class we have a story.
The look on their faces when they realized that we did, in fact, have a story and a very good story and that we got it for free out of our unconscious minds was well worth the price of admission.
I called a break right after this exercise, I know enough about teaching to know that you can`t top that kind of thing, and all the students stayed in their seats talking about the story, fleshing it out. I watched them for a little bit, smiled to myself, and then headed out to the room of rest.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Big Brother
One of the strange things about the Internet and Blog writing is that the writer, me, does not know if there is anybody out there. It is kind of like being a D.J. at your local radio station. Am I just talking to myself every day?
I am currently wearing a rain coat that I got from an ex-KGB officer. I have been doing a little spy work. The marvels of the computer age.
About 53% of the readers of this Blog are on the Pacific Coast, California and places north. One time zone west and one time zone east clocks in at about 2%. The Heartland is around 7%. The right coast is at 19% readership. England and Europe total out to 15%. There are about 2 or 3 % readership either in Australia or Siberia.
We have had visitors from Disney, Blur Studios, Blue Sky, and American Greeting. The rest of you guys are hiding you tracks very well. Keep up the good work even if Big Brother is watching.
I am currently wearing a rain coat that I got from an ex-KGB officer. I have been doing a little spy work. The marvels of the computer age.
About 53% of the readers of this Blog are on the Pacific Coast, California and places north. One time zone west and one time zone east clocks in at about 2%. The Heartland is around 7%. The right coast is at 19% readership. England and Europe total out to 15%. There are about 2 or 3 % readership either in Australia or Siberia.
We have had visitors from Disney, Blur Studios, Blue Sky, and American Greeting. The rest of you guys are hiding you tracks very well. Keep up the good work even if Big Brother is watching.
Delusions of Sugarplums
Delusion are a very important part of education. The student can not believe the teacher when we tell them just how hard it is going to be to get into the industry. I didn`t believe Hy Eisman, Ric Estrada, Tex Blaisdell. I could not believe them without giving up my dream.
Sometimes it is a good part of the human mind that we will not look at reality or we would be a world of accountants and tax attorneys. You have to fight against the odds. Stick with it.
A new semester, new minds to warp, a new group of students to tell the truth to knowing that the ones that are going to make it are the ones that will not believe my truth. They can`t afford to believe that next week they really will not be working at Pixar, Disney, fill in the blank.
Sometimes it is a good part of the human mind that we will not look at reality or we would be a world of accountants and tax attorneys. You have to fight against the odds. Stick with it.
A new semester, new minds to warp, a new group of students to tell the truth to knowing that the ones that are going to make it are the ones that will not believe my truth. They can`t afford to believe that next week they really will not be working at Pixar, Disney, fill in the blank.
Monday, January 10, 2005
A Call to Arms
The weatherman says it will be clear this weekend. ASIFA needs to strike while the weather is clear or even if it is not. We have got to move the archives from the old animaiton center to the new center before the rain washes it away.
It is time to call up the volunteers. We will be moving the archives from the old animation center to the new center this Saturday the 15th.
We will be meeting at the new center,
If you can make it to this volunteer event please e-mail me at: larry@agni-animation.com
Thank you
Larry Loc
It is time to call up the volunteers. We will be moving the archives from the old animation center to the new center this Saturday the 15th.
We will be meeting at the new center,
2114 W. Burbank BlvdIf you have a dolly it could be useful and you might want to bring work gloves.
Burbank
at 9am
If you can make it to this volunteer event please e-mail me at: larry@agni-animation.com
Thank you
Larry Loc
Historian vs History Teacher
I make a distinction between Animation Historian and Animation History Teacher. A Historian is someone like Jerry Beck, John Canemaker, Tom Sito, someone with firsthand knowledge gained through research and a lot of talking to the people that made the history.
A teacher of the history of animaiton, if the student is lucky, is someone who has read a lot of books about that history by those historians.
It has long been my goal to make that trip from book learning to firsthand knowledge in the field of animation, from history teacher to historian. That is just one of the reasons that I never miss the Afternoon of Remembrance.
There is no where or when else where you can find so many generations of animation all willing to talk about the past. Don`t miss this very special envent.
A teacher of the history of animaiton, if the student is lucky, is someone who has read a lot of books about that history by those historians.
It has long been my goal to make that trip from book learning to firsthand knowledge in the field of animation, from history teacher to historian. That is just one of the reasons that I never miss the Afternoon of Remembrance.
There is no where or when else where you can find so many generations of animation all willing to talk about the past. Don`t miss this very special envent.
AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE
Saturday January 29th, 2005 - 1:00pm
THE DeMILLE BARN - HOLLYWOOD HERTIAGE MUSEUM
2100 N. Highland Ave (at Odin - across from the Hollywood Bowl)
Hollywood, CA
Share the memories with speakers who will recall departed friends who
made their mark in the animation community at our annual "Afternoon
of Remembrance".
Among those we will honor (as of November 2004): Dayton Allen, Arthur
Alsberg, Pete Alvarado, Lila Bakke, Jill Bauman, Jackson Beck, Elmer
Bernstein, Mary Bloomquist, Jack Bradbury, Michelle Charest, Else
Cruz, Bill Danch, Danny Dark, Ruth Eisengart, Leota Gibeaut, Yvonne
Hansford, Helen Hanson, John Hench, Renee Henning, Harry Holt, Guy
Hudson, Volus Jones, Richard Kempster, Jack Kerns, Jim Ludtke, Sam
McKim, Dr. Bill Moritz, Joe Morrison, J.P. Miller, Bill Nunes, Mike
O'Mara, Lee Orgel, Robert Peluce, Tony Pope, Ronald Potter, Jason
Raize, Frank Thomas, Donald Trumbull, Kathrin Victor, Ivor Wood,
Mitsuteru Yokoyama, and Lou Zukor.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Annie Nominee Screenings
As posted in an earlier entry, ASIFA-Hollywood will be screening the nominees for the 32nd Annie Awards at the Walt Disney Studio and DreamWorks Animation Campus. A formal invitation for the sceenings will be mailed to all members of ASIFA-Hollywood, along with the ballot, this week.
If you would like to download the PDF version of the screening invitation (which includes screening addresses and a list of what will be shown each night), please go to http://www.annieawards.com/AnnieScreenings2005.pdf or visit the official Annie Awards website at http://www.annieawards.com/
To RSVP, send an email to anniescreenings@yahoogroups.com. Seating is limited and availability is on a first come, first serve basis.
If you would like to download the PDF version of the screening invitation (which includes screening addresses and a list of what will be shown each night), please go to http://www.annieawards.com/AnnieScreenings2005.pdf or visit the official Annie Awards website at http://www.annieawards.com/
To RSVP, send an email to anniescreenings@yahoogroups.com. Seating is limited and availability is on a first come, first serve basis.
