ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Thursday, April 28, 2005
This is a test. It is only a test
So here is a test for my current stop motion project, it is only a test. The hair has no animation, no secondary action or follow through, nothing. Don`t look at the hair. The test is for masks, composite, support rod system, and shadow. Also looking as the environment and doing a little lighting. Still not there on the lighting. Long way on the lighting. Don`t pay any attention to the guy behind the curtain.
Volunteer Report
Twenty-six volunteers turned out last night for ASIFA-Hollywood`s monthly Act of Membership Volunteers Meeting. There were people from DreamWorks, freelancers, three ASIFA Board Members, two animation teachers, small studio owners, lots of students, animation fans, film makers, and one archivist of Disney comic books who effortlessly put a name to a Donald Duck comic book story that I haven`t seen since I was 8 years old.
Jerry Beck talked about this Saturday`s ScrappyAFI screening and lined up volunteers for the June 2-D Expo.
The next order of business was Comic Con. Strategies for parking; food, hotels, and just plane surviving the four-day pop culture ordeal were discussed. A play by play of last year`s Jerry Beck screening of The Worst Cartoons was spontaneous presented by Steve Gattuso and Jon Reeves. Okay, I was in on it too.
There was a break for pizza and talk. Scooter Milne suggested a Stop Mo Expo which is already starting to move from idea to action plan. I for one, as a stop mo geek, am heavily behind this project. Then the evening ended with Linda Lee and then David Kolodny-Nagy presenting practice pitches in preparation for Monday appointments at Nick. The whole group offered feedback and input. Jason Jones helped me clean up and then that long drive home to Orange.
NOTE: The Dudlie Do-Right Emporium sign is in the ASIFA Archive`s back room. And volunteers from the Fred Patten Library move delivered duplicate items for the ASIFA Archives.
Jerry Beck talked about this Saturday`s ScrappyAFI screening and lined up volunteers for the June 2-D Expo.
The next order of business was Comic Con. Strategies for parking; food, hotels, and just plane surviving the four-day pop culture ordeal were discussed. A play by play of last year`s Jerry Beck screening of The Worst Cartoons was spontaneous presented by Steve Gattuso and Jon Reeves. Okay, I was in on it too.
There was a break for pizza and talk. Scooter Milne suggested a Stop Mo Expo which is already starting to move from idea to action plan. I for one, as a stop mo geek, am heavily behind this project. Then the evening ended with Linda Lee and then David Kolodny-Nagy presenting practice pitches in preparation for Monday appointments at Nick. The whole group offered feedback and input. Jason Jones helped me clean up and then that long drive home to Orange.
NOTE: The Dudlie Do-Right Emporium sign is in the ASIFA Archive`s back room. And volunteers from the Fred Patten Library move delivered duplicate items for the ASIFA Archives.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
More Books out on the market right now.
By now you have heard on this blog about the cool new books by Jean Ann Wright- ANIMATION WRITING, and Martha Sigal`s memoir LIVING LIFE BETWEEN THE LINES. If you have a desire for more literary material about our favorite subject -Animation, here are some other titles bopping around:
WALTS PEOPLE by Didier Ghez, Xlibris.com Didier assembled a number of interviewers including Mike Marrier and Jim Korkis who had done interviews with a number of past Disney greats including MILT KAHL, DAVE HAND, MARC DAVIS, BILL TYTLA, JOHN HENCH and JOYCE CARLSON. A must for folks seriously interested in the House of Mouse!
STRAY DOG OF ANIME The Films of Mamoru Oshii by Brian Ruh, Palgrave/MacMillan press. The first comprehensive biography in English of the great Japanese director/writer./producer who`s films include GHOST IN THE SHELL, THE PATLABOR series, JIN ROH and BLOOD OF THE LAST VAMPIRE.
My spies have brought in news that film director Richard Fleischer will soon be completing a biography of his father Max Fleischer, and Neal Gabler author of AN EMPIRE OF THEIR OWN, is finishing a new bio of Walt Disney. Oh, and . . . Tom Sito (uh . . . me) still finishing his/my book on the history of the animation unions from silents to CGI.
All these labels are available on Amazon.com or wherever you order books.
TS
WALTS PEOPLE by Didier Ghez, Xlibris.com Didier assembled a number of interviewers including Mike Marrier and Jim Korkis who had done interviews with a number of past Disney greats including MILT KAHL, DAVE HAND, MARC DAVIS, BILL TYTLA, JOHN HENCH and JOYCE CARLSON. A must for folks seriously interested in the House of Mouse!
STRAY DOG OF ANIME The Films of Mamoru Oshii by Brian Ruh, Palgrave/MacMillan press. The first comprehensive biography in English of the great Japanese director/writer./producer who`s films include GHOST IN THE SHELL, THE PATLABOR series, JIN ROH and BLOOD OF THE LAST VAMPIRE.
My spies have brought in news that film director Richard Fleischer will soon be completing a biography of his father Max Fleischer, and Neal Gabler author of AN EMPIRE OF THEIR OWN, is finishing a new bio of Walt Disney. Oh, and . . . Tom Sito (uh . . . me) still finishing his/my book on the history of the animation unions from silents to CGI.
All these labels are available on Amazon.com or wherever you order books.
TS
So here I am in the teacher`s workroom. Yesterday was like 5 minutes long. Stop motion is like that. One minute it was 6 AM and the next it was time to pick up the kids at school.
Got some test footage done. Got the lighting right to make if possible to cut masks. Did a test run or two with the rod support system, and built the background in 3D Max. I will put up a clip later.
Tonight is the volunteer meeting. Come on out and support ASIFA. As mentioned below, we will have a group doing run-thoughs for a Nick pitch. Should be fun.
Got some test footage done. Got the lighting right to make if possible to cut masks. Did a test run or two with the rod support system, and built the background in 3D Max. I will put up a clip later.
Tonight is the volunteer meeting. Come on out and support ASIFA. As mentioned below, we will have a group doing run-thoughs for a Nick pitch. Should be fun.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
I will not be blogging anything here today. I have set the day aside for animation. I will not be answering the phone or my e-mail either. I will be back Wednesday.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Jean Ann Wright - Animation Writing
ASIFA-Hollywood Proudly Presents a Booksigning
with author Jean Ann Wright
ANIMATION WRITING & DEVELOPMENT
Below is the press release for the ASIFA book signing with Jean Ann Wright. I want to add my 2 cents. I have thoroughly examined this book and found it to be a very important work. I am considering it as a textbook for one of my classes.
This is a no nonsense, step by step guide to the animation writing process that focuses on television animation but covers all areas of animation. What I really love about this book is that it deals with subjects that my students are not going to want to hear. This book has a straightforward attitude about the very real collaborative nature of the professional animation business and the need for compromise in the writing process.
Students don`t want to hear this kind of truth, I know I didn`t when I was a student. But somebody has to tell them. This is your chance to meet Jean Ann Wright and hear her truths for yourselves.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - 7pm
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center
2114 Burbank Blvd.
with author Jean Ann Wright
ANIMATION WRITING & DEVELOPMENT
Below is the press release for the ASIFA book signing with Jean Ann Wright. I want to add my 2 cents. I have thoroughly examined this book and found it to be a very important work. I am considering it as a textbook for one of my classes.
This is a no nonsense, step by step guide to the animation writing process that focuses on television animation but covers all areas of animation. What I really love about this book is that it deals with subjects that my students are not going to want to hear. This book has a straightforward attitude about the very real collaborative nature of the professional animation business and the need for compromise in the writing process.
Students don`t want to hear this kind of truth, I know I didn`t when I was a student. But somebody has to tell them. This is your chance to meet Jean Ann Wright and hear her truths for yourselves.
Jean Ann Wright has been teaching writing and development since 1996, and has pitched animation projects around Hollywood herself. Her teaching resume includes Women In Animation, Learning Tree University, The Animation Academy, DH Institute of Media Arts, and Screenwriting Expo 2. She regularly judges for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, ASIFA-Hollywood (animation awards), Writers Guild of America west (animation writing awards), and the State Thespian Conference (high school drama awards). Her new book, Animation Writing and Development (which includes a chapter on pitching), was published by Focal Press in February 2005.
Jean`s animation career began as a trainee at Hanna-Barbera in 1978, working for eight years as an assistant animator on shows like The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, and The Smurfs. She`s sold her writing to DIC Entertainment, Hanna-Barbera, and Filmation. She`s a member of Women In Animation, Women In Film, the Writer`s Guild Animation Caucus, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and ASIFA-Hollywood.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - 7pm
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center
2114 Burbank Blvd.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Last night as I was sewing a tutu for my Skipper doll and watching the original version of Star Wars I was struck with how weird the life of an animator really is. Now I am sewing a tutu for a Skipper doll because she is going to star in a stop motion animation blitz that I am working on at present.
I do these every so often when I have been too long from the process. They are free form, unplanned, animation attacks without any planned commercial value. In a way they are the purest form of animation. Only after the fact do I ever try to do anything with them.
Yesterday when I was building a support rod system for Skipper I got a call from David Kolodny-Nagy. He and a couple others (one a past student of mine) are getting ready pitches for Nickelodeon. He wanted to know if they could use the Animation Center to practice their pitches?
I did him one better and we have now grafted their practice onto the end of the ASIFA-Hollywood Volunteer Meeting this Wednesday night. So come on out and help plan ASIFA events like Scrappyland, 2-D Expo and Comic Con. Have some pizza with your peers. Then stay to see some young animators sweat.
Wednesday, April 27th
2114 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA
7 PM
