ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Happy Birthday Sol Sigall, I really wanted to come to your party today but was already committed to a a screening I am doing for my daughter`s high school. All the best to you.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
March ASIFA Volunteer of the Month
Steve Gattuso is a computer hardware and AV tech with a great love of animation. He has been a member of ASIFA-Hollywood for a long time. If you go to any of the AFI screenings then he is the volunteer taking tickets. He shows up at most of the volunteer and board meetings, volunteers at the Annies, 2D Expo, archive moves, and anything else needed.
Steve Gattuso is a computer hardware and AV tech with a great love of animation. He has been a member of ASIFA-Hollywood for a long time. If you go to any of the AFI screenings then he is the volunteer taking tickets. He shows up at most of the volunteer and board meetings, volunteers at the Annies, 2D Expo, archive moves, and anything else needed.
I'm still here.....
Boy it's been awhile since I've been on the blog. Things have been going great. I've been doing some work to the Annies video. So I hope to have it soon. I hope!?
What an amazing Oscar's Awards. Wasn't it great to see Brad Bird walk on stage, With an Oscar in hand? This is what animation has come too. Not only are we making people laugh and smile but we are getting awards for doing it! Love it! You know I hope I wasn't the only one that stood up and applauded as he recieved the award. It's like we were there man. A few of my friends that animate for the gaming industry came over to watch the Oscar's, And you know what it was like we were there man, except we had Carne Asada and non alcoholic margaritas! Yummy for the tummy. It's amazing to see how much animation has grown. So what's next in the years that will come? With as much talent as we have seen come out of these studios large and small. Wow! Will we win an Oscar for "Best actor/tress"? "Best Director"? or "Best Picture"? You just wait and see world, Because the animation industry is coming......!
I bid you a congradulations to the team of animators, the Pixar Studios, And to Brad Bird, Job well done! So what's next?............
What an amazing Oscar's Awards. Wasn't it great to see Brad Bird walk on stage, With an Oscar in hand? This is what animation has come too. Not only are we making people laugh and smile but we are getting awards for doing it! Love it! You know I hope I wasn't the only one that stood up and applauded as he recieved the award. It's like we were there man. A few of my friends that animate for the gaming industry came over to watch the Oscar's, And you know what it was like we were there man, except we had Carne Asada and non alcoholic margaritas! Yummy for the tummy. It's amazing to see how much animation has grown. So what's next in the years that will come? With as much talent as we have seen come out of these studios large and small. Wow! Will we win an Oscar for "Best actor/tress"? "Best Director"? or "Best Picture"? You just wait and see world, Because the animation industry is coming......!
I bid you a congradulations to the team of animators, the Pixar Studios, And to Brad Bird, Job well done! So what's next?............
My daughter is putting together a board game on Greek myth for a school project. That means time to go through my D&D lead figures.
In the bottom of all the wrapped pieces were these gems from my wife`s childhood. They have been in her family for a while. Back when it was okay to make toys for kids out of toxic stuff.
Kind of like printing a Superman suit on a dry cleaning bag. But oh so cool. If anybody has a date on these I would like to know.
In the bottom of all the wrapped pieces were these gems from my wife`s childhood. They have been in her family for a while. Back when it was okay to make toys for kids out of toxic stuff.
Kind of like printing a Superman suit on a dry cleaning bag. But oh so cool. If anybody has a date on these I would like to know.
Animation Club Guest
Kevin Malling of Acme Digital Content, a 3-D scanning company, was the guest today at Brooks College Animation Club lunch time meeting. The animation club meets each Tuesday at noon.
Acme Digital Content specialized in exact car models for commercials. The car is prepped with a tape grid laid down over half the front hood and left fender. I don`t think this is the first time he has used his porsche as a model.
The car is digitized with a hand controlled scanning arm and then modeled in 3D Max.
There was a very large turn out of this event and there was some talk of possible internships.
Kevin Malling of Acme Digital Content, a 3-D scanning company, was the guest today at Brooks College Animation Club lunch time meeting. The animation club meets each Tuesday at noon.
Acme Digital Content specialized in exact car models for commercials. The car is prepped with a tape grid laid down over half the front hood and left fender. I don`t think this is the first time he has used his porsche as a model.
The car is digitized with a hand controlled scanning arm and then modeled in 3D Max.
There was a very large turn out of this event and there was some talk of possible internships.
New Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Site
I hate to be a copycat and post the very same thing that all the other animation news blogs do but the new lost Oswalds site at Jerry Beck`s Cartoon Research is just too good not to talk about. I know what I am going to be doing with my spare time for the next couple of days http://www.cartoonresearch.com/winkler/index.html
Monday, February 28, 2005
Really, Really, we are Going to Move this Time (If it Doesn`t Rain)
Hi Larry,
I'd like to try and complete the move of our old storage space, this Saturday, March 5th at 11am. Volunteers should meet at the 721 S. Victory, Burbank location, and we'll take it from there.
Antran
Here we go again. I hope you guys don`t think I am crying Wolf, Wolf. We really need to move this stuff. I know we have been rained out 2 times before. But third time`s the charm., right? RIGht! So please come on out and help us move some rare animation.
I'd like to try and complete the move of our old storage space, this Saturday, March 5th at 11am. Volunteers should meet at the 721 S. Victory, Burbank location, and we'll take it from there.
Antran
Here we go again. I hope you guys don`t think I am crying Wolf, Wolf. We really need to move this stuff. I know we have been rained out 2 times before. But third time`s the charm., right? RIGht! So please come on out and help us move some rare animation.
International Cartoons and Comics Festival - Dervio (Italy)
The 7th edition of International Cartoons and Comics Festival in Dervio (Como Lake, ITALY) is coming: the official competition will be from 15th to 23th July 2005. If you have an animation film and you want to participate, you can download Regulations with entry form from site www.dervio.org (also available in English).
If you need more information please write us at festival@dervio.org
No entry fee is required. Entries will be open till 15th April, 2005.
See you!
International Cartoons and Comics Festival - Dervio (Italy)
"Dervio Festival" festival.dervio@virgilio.it
If you need more information please write us at festival@dervio.org
No entry fee is required. Entries will be open till 15th April, 2005.
See you!
International Cartoons and Comics Festival - Dervio (Italy)
"Dervio Festival" festival.dervio@virgilio.it
Tom sent some photos but I could not open them so here is a shot of the first feature animation Oscar from the lobby of DreamWorks
SUNDAY Feb 27th OSCAR DAY!
After weeks of pounding rainstorms and mudslides LA on Oscar Day was dry and sunny. Bill & Sue Kroyer, Chris Buck, Bruce Morris, Denis Venizelos, Greg Manwaring and myself with our lovely ladies all pile into an absurdly long white stretch SUV Limousine for the ride to the Kodak Center on Hollywood Blvd. W e looked like a cross between the Godfather and a circus clown car. The traffic around Hollywood Blvd is so congested this seems the most sane way to get there. Bill Plympton, who is nominated for his short GUARD DOG, declared he was coming in a pedalcab! It reminds me of 1995 when Nick Park won for A CLOSE SHAVE. Nick came to the ceremony in a bright red motorcycle and sidecar a` la Wallace & Gromett. Traveling the few short blocks to the theater he was stopped by the LA police and given a ticket for not wearing a helmet!
We have to get there pretty early as the ceremony gets going around 5:00PM so it can be seen prime time on the East Coast. So you are usually on the road by about 1:45PM. Since Sept 11th the amount of sun-glassed police lining the Hollywood streets make it seem like a coup d`etat in a small country.. This was the first year they put concrete obstacles out to discourage car bombers.
Exiting your limo on to the red carpet at the Oscars is a pretty chaotic experience. As soon as you step out there are glaring lights, screaming people, valets urging you to move on and not hold things up and religious zealots screaming from across the street how we are all going to Hell for our iniquity. For one split second there are two thousand cameras pointed at you, until they determine you are nobody and turn away. "Hmmm, he`s too big to be DeCarpio -.maybe it`s MeatLoaf?" They confiscate all our cameras and cel-phone cameras so all you have is a chance for a quick snap then toss it back into the limo. Crowds in the bleachers were screaming: ORLANDO! ORLANDO! Orlando Bloom was behind us. Hmm, Leonardo DeCaprio is taller than I expected.
For us non-celeb types the trick is to walk slowly down the red carpet and stand behind some big shot being interviewed, so maybe you`ll get on TV back somewhere your family can see you. Meanwhile the ushers know what you`re up to and keep urging you along At times it has the finesse of a cattle drive. After a few years here you begin to recognize friends in the media wall. Former Disney-Amblin animator Raul Garcia does a syndicated commentary for Spanish radio as Raimundo Hollywood.
After the madness on the red carpet once inside the large hall there is plenty of time to get a drink and schmooze with some biggies. Last year I got to meet classical composer Phillip Glass and ask Antonio Banderas where my seat was! This year I said hi to Quincy Jones. The PIXAR crowd was there in force. Brad Bird, Steve Jobs, Ed Catmul, Joe Ranft. INCREDIBLES producer John Walker was passing out small lapel pins with the Incredibles logo "I" on it for all us true believers. Lots of other great animators were on hand to cheer on their friends like Mike Cedeno, Jay Jackson, Jim Beihold, and Jim Hillin. Brad Bird looked great when he accepted and did a great speech. Best regards to Chris Landreth for his animated short RYAN. It was a tough choice this year because all the other shorts nominees like LORENZO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and GUARD DOG were terrific too. It was weird watching Chris Rock go for so long without any swear words. I kept hoping Chris would break into some dialogue from my favorite movie OSMOSIS JONES, but oh, well, at least he didn`t goof on it like POOTY TANG. He`s going to be a voice in Dreamworks MADAGASCAR this summer.
You have to get in your seat quickly since when the show commences they lock the doors, only opening them during TV commercial breaks. Huge lights shine in your face and a big loudspeaker announces `TAKE YOU SEATS PLEASE, TEN SECONDS, NINE, EIGHT, APPLAUSE!" In 1981 when Polish animator Zbigniew Rybcysnski won for his short TANGO, he stepped outside for a smoke. Suddenly unable to get back in he grew agitated and security guards subdued him. He shouted the only English he knew:" I have Oscar!" but was arrested anyway for fighting and spent the rest of the evening in a police station. By the third hour of the evening more of the audience is in the lobby at the bar then sitting down. The show went on pretty smoothly, although Best Actress Hilary Swank was still thanking people when they cut her mike off for a commercial.
There are lots of parties around town afterwards, if you know someone. The Governors Ball is for the bigshots and winners by invitation only. The former President of Disney Animation recalled once when at the Governors Ball getting an elbow in the back by rabid photographers intent on getting a better shot of Meryl Streep. Brad and his crew went to the Vanity Fair Party to celebrate. My posse went to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for dinner. That`s the hotel that is supposedly haunted by actor Montgomery Clift and it is where Clark Gable used to meet Carole Lombard for their assignations. For you young folks Gable & Lombard were the J.Lo & Ben Affleck of the 1930s.
After a long night in Tinseltown our stretch limo dropped us home and we got
back around 1:00AM. Then I had to write this out fast because tomorrow morning
I have to go pitch some TV projects! Hope you all had fun watching the Oscars and I hope your favorites won. See you next year on the Red Carpet.
TS
We have to get there pretty early as the ceremony gets going around 5:00PM so it can be seen prime time on the East Coast. So you are usually on the road by about 1:45PM. Since Sept 11th the amount of sun-glassed police lining the Hollywood streets make it seem like a coup d`etat in a small country.. This was the first year they put concrete obstacles out to discourage car bombers.
Exiting your limo on to the red carpet at the Oscars is a pretty chaotic experience. As soon as you step out there are glaring lights, screaming people, valets urging you to move on and not hold things up and religious zealots screaming from across the street how we are all going to Hell for our iniquity. For one split second there are two thousand cameras pointed at you, until they determine you are nobody and turn away. "Hmmm, he`s too big to be DeCarpio -.maybe it`s MeatLoaf?" They confiscate all our cameras and cel-phone cameras so all you have is a chance for a quick snap then toss it back into the limo. Crowds in the bleachers were screaming: ORLANDO! ORLANDO! Orlando Bloom was behind us. Hmm, Leonardo DeCaprio is taller than I expected.
For us non-celeb types the trick is to walk slowly down the red carpet and stand behind some big shot being interviewed, so maybe you`ll get on TV back somewhere your family can see you. Meanwhile the ushers know what you`re up to and keep urging you along At times it has the finesse of a cattle drive. After a few years here you begin to recognize friends in the media wall. Former Disney-Amblin animator Raul Garcia does a syndicated commentary for Spanish radio as Raimundo Hollywood.
After the madness on the red carpet once inside the large hall there is plenty of time to get a drink and schmooze with some biggies. Last year I got to meet classical composer Phillip Glass and ask Antonio Banderas where my seat was! This year I said hi to Quincy Jones. The PIXAR crowd was there in force. Brad Bird, Steve Jobs, Ed Catmul, Joe Ranft. INCREDIBLES producer John Walker was passing out small lapel pins with the Incredibles logo "I" on it for all us true believers. Lots of other great animators were on hand to cheer on their friends like Mike Cedeno, Jay Jackson, Jim Beihold, and Jim Hillin. Brad Bird looked great when he accepted and did a great speech. Best regards to Chris Landreth for his animated short RYAN. It was a tough choice this year because all the other shorts nominees like LORENZO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and GUARD DOG were terrific too. It was weird watching Chris Rock go for so long without any swear words. I kept hoping Chris would break into some dialogue from my favorite movie OSMOSIS JONES, but oh, well, at least he didn`t goof on it like POOTY TANG. He`s going to be a voice in Dreamworks MADAGASCAR this summer.
You have to get in your seat quickly since when the show commences they lock the doors, only opening them during TV commercial breaks. Huge lights shine in your face and a big loudspeaker announces `TAKE YOU SEATS PLEASE, TEN SECONDS, NINE, EIGHT, APPLAUSE!" In 1981 when Polish animator Zbigniew Rybcysnski won for his short TANGO, he stepped outside for a smoke. Suddenly unable to get back in he grew agitated and security guards subdued him. He shouted the only English he knew:" I have Oscar!" but was arrested anyway for fighting and spent the rest of the evening in a police station. By the third hour of the evening more of the audience is in the lobby at the bar then sitting down. The show went on pretty smoothly, although Best Actress Hilary Swank was still thanking people when they cut her mike off for a commercial.
There are lots of parties around town afterwards, if you know someone. The Governors Ball is for the bigshots and winners by invitation only. The former President of Disney Animation recalled once when at the Governors Ball getting an elbow in the back by rabid photographers intent on getting a better shot of Meryl Streep. Brad and his crew went to the Vanity Fair Party to celebrate. My posse went to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for dinner. That`s the hotel that is supposedly haunted by actor Montgomery Clift and it is where Clark Gable used to meet Carole Lombard for their assignations. For you young folks Gable & Lombard were the J.Lo & Ben Affleck of the 1930s.
After a long night in Tinseltown our stretch limo dropped us home and we got
back around 1:00AM. Then I had to write this out fast because tomorrow morning
I have to go pitch some TV projects! Hope you all had fun watching the Oscars and I hope your favorites won. See you next year on the Red Carpet.
TS
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Oscar Report Pending
A lot of people will tell you that they really don`t watch that much TV but they still know every person`s name on every reality show and hum along with all the commercials. When I say that my family does not watch TV I mean that we watch videos and DVD`s all the time but only just turn on the TV on Oscar night.
We have a tradition at my house where we pop lots of popcorn, put a bed sheet down in front of the TV, and then throw popcorn at the tellie when we think someone was robbed. (don`t try this at home unless you pop some without butter)
Tom Sito has a tradition too, he and his friends rent a limo, get all dressed up, and then they go to the show. Later, after the madness, Tom will be reporting on the event for all you ASIFA blog readers.
We have a tradition at my house where we pop lots of popcorn, put a bed sheet down in front of the TV, and then throw popcorn at the tellie when we think someone was robbed. (don`t try this at home unless you pop some without butter)
Tom Sito has a tradition too, he and his friends rent a limo, get all dressed up, and then they go to the show. Later, after the madness, Tom will be reporting on the event for all you ASIFA blog readers.
Calvin and the Colonel
(from left) Frank Andrina, John Sparey, Phil Roman, June Foray, Mark Kausler, and Mike Karaleh
So here it is Oscar Sunday and I haven`t blogged yesterday`s Calvin and the Colonel screening at AFI yet. I had familial duties to perform last night. It was my night for dishes. At the DreamWorks party yesterday I was talking to real nice lady named Rita who seemed to be the wife of the head of post at DW (noise levels). She asked me what I was about and we got talking about the animation history classes I teach.
Jerry Beck`s AFI screenings keep me humble. I was privilege to set in on a conversation between Mark Kausler, Ray Pointer, and a number of others after the screening that ranged from studio locations to music timing devices in animation to the sound signatures of animation composers. I keep picking up pieces to hundreds of puzzles I have running around in my head.
The screening started with a Van Beuren Amos and Andy cartoon. I was surprised at how mild this demonized series really was. Scrub Me Mamma With a Boogie Beat is much more racist in content. Amos and Andy, at lest in this incarnation, was like a black Life of Riley with a sympathetic Andy in the Riley role.
Next came Calvin and the Colonel. Good solid UPA style animation with very good posing and solid situation comedy writing.
Here is an example of one of the hundreds of those animation puzzles running around in my head. What about Shull Bonsell? I got an answer to that question from Fred Patten who was up and around and looking very good after his hospital stay of last month.
For those of you who don`t know who Shull Bonsell is let us just say that he is not the favorite person of Lucile Bliss, Jay Ward, or Alex Anderson and that through very hardball business practices he gained the rights to Crusader Rabbit. (see Keith Scott`s The Mouse that Roared for more details)
I know a lot about Bonsell from his days in the lime light but I never knew what happened to him. Fred tracked him down to his son-in-law`s horse ranch some years ago.
Bonsell had gone bankrupt and was now the foreman on said horse ranch. Bonsell partly blamed the NAACP opposed Calvin and the Colonel for his business going belly up.
The panel was not nearly long enough. Nor was the conversation afterwards. All and all a very good day. Next up at AFI is commercials of the 50`s and 60`s followed the month after with a Scrappy screening with a display of Scrappy collectables showing before the screening.
Mark Kausler (It`s the Cat) and Bob Stenhouse (The Dog the Frog and the Devil)
Frank Andrina
Mark Evanier, Phil Roman, with Jerry somebody with his back to us
Frank Andrina, John Sparey and Phil Roman
Ray Pointer, Bob Stenhouse, June Foray, back of Phil Roman and I am not sure who the last person with his back to the camera is
(from left) Frank Andrina, John Sparey, Phil Roman, June Foray, Mark Kausler, and Mike Karaleh
So here it is Oscar Sunday and I haven`t blogged yesterday`s Calvin and the Colonel screening at AFI yet. I had familial duties to perform last night. It was my night for dishes. At the DreamWorks party yesterday I was talking to real nice lady named Rita who seemed to be the wife of the head of post at DW (noise levels). She asked me what I was about and we got talking about the animation history classes I teach.
So you are an Animation Historian?
No, I am a teacher of Animation History who would like to be an Animation Historian some day.
Jerry Beck`s AFI screenings keep me humble. I was privilege to set in on a conversation between Mark Kausler, Ray Pointer, and a number of others after the screening that ranged from studio locations to music timing devices in animation to the sound signatures of animation composers. I keep picking up pieces to hundreds of puzzles I have running around in my head.
The screening started with a Van Beuren Amos and Andy cartoon. I was surprised at how mild this demonized series really was. Scrub Me Mamma With a Boogie Beat is much more racist in content. Amos and Andy, at lest in this incarnation, was like a black Life of Riley with a sympathetic Andy in the Riley role.
Next came Calvin and the Colonel. Good solid UPA style animation with very good posing and solid situation comedy writing.
Here is an example of one of the hundreds of those animation puzzles running around in my head. What about Shull Bonsell? I got an answer to that question from Fred Patten who was up and around and looking very good after his hospital stay of last month.
For those of you who don`t know who Shull Bonsell is let us just say that he is not the favorite person of Lucile Bliss, Jay Ward, or Alex Anderson and that through very hardball business practices he gained the rights to Crusader Rabbit. (see Keith Scott`s The Mouse that Roared for more details)
I know a lot about Bonsell from his days in the lime light but I never knew what happened to him. Fred tracked him down to his son-in-law`s horse ranch some years ago.
Bonsell had gone bankrupt and was now the foreman on said horse ranch. Bonsell partly blamed the NAACP opposed Calvin and the Colonel for his business going belly up.
The panel was not nearly long enough. Nor was the conversation afterwards. All and all a very good day. Next up at AFI is commercials of the 50`s and 60`s followed the month after with a Scrappy screening with a display of Scrappy collectables showing before the screening.
Mark Kausler (It`s the Cat) and Bob Stenhouse (The Dog the Frog and the Devil)
Frank Andrina
Mark Evanier, Phil Roman, with Jerry somebody with his back to us
Frank Andrina, John Sparey and Phil Roman
Ray Pointer, Bob Stenhouse, June Foray, back of Phil Roman and I am not sure who the last person with his back to the camera is
Free Animation / Flash Seminar
Free Flash Seminar
When: March 8, 2005
When: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Brooks College room E130
4825 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90804
Admission: Free
Appetizers and Drinks Available
Please RSVP to: info@lbtechpoint.com if you would like to attend this seminar.
When: March 8, 2005
When: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Brooks College room E130
4825 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90804
Admission: Free
Appetizers and Drinks Available
Please RSVP to: info@lbtechpoint.com if you would like to attend this seminar.
