ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Saturday, June 25, 2005
End of Semester Blues
Man this semester went fast. Just finishing out grading today on my Friday animation history class. Students with last minute papers trying to sneak through. Deadline folks, the best work in the world is useless if it gets there after the movie is made.
There were good students and good work, lots of it but at the end of semester that stuff is already in and graded. So what are you going to do?
Man this semester went fast. Just finishing out grading today on my Friday animation history class. Students with last minute papers trying to sneak through. Deadline folks, the best work in the world is useless if it gets there after the movie is made.
There were good students and good work, lots of it but at the end of semester that stuff is already in and graded. So what are you going to do?
Night of the living Freds:
So, okay, I know that the title of today`s blog is really tacky and that I really had to push to use it but where else am I going to get a chance to use such a line? And last night`s ASIFA screening at Harmony Gold was dominated by 2 animation and Anime greats with the name of Fred; Fred Ladd and Fred Patten.
Animation and Anime historian Fred Patten looked and sound great last night is his first public appearance since his stroke of last winter. He has lost a little weight. He was is a wheelchair and his right arm was immobilized in a form rubber arm support but his speech was clear and mind as sharp as ever.
Thank the gods, I have been worried about my friend, that was my first thought, but let`s be honest, I am sure that I am not the only animation history buff in the community that has been worried about losing all the knowledge inside on Fred Patten`s head.
Fred entered the screening after the lights went down which meant his presence was a nice surprise after a very enjoyable movie. A large crowd of well wishers formed around Fred Patten and I just had time to talk to him a little bit and pick up an envelope from him to pass on to Jerry Beck and Bob Miller, then I was crowded out by his other friends wanting to wish him well. It was great to see him out and about.
The love of animation makes us all a family. We come together at these events like favorite cousins that grew up together and only get to see each other at periodic family gatherings.
I am not sure if my wife understands about the animation family feeling. She did try to climb under her chair when I lead a verse of Kimba the White Lion to mark the pre-show entrance of Fred Ladd, the man that brought us Kimba, Astroboy, Gigantor, and many others.
As luck would have it my son, Tobias, was wearing a Gigantor 40th anniversary T-shirts that I had left over from last year`s Comic Con.
Do you think I should Ask Fred to sign my Gigantor T-shirt, joked my son?
Oh yes!! I said borrowing a Sharpy from an audience member in the seat behind me.
My wife, Ruth, who doesn`t come to these events often, for some unknown reason, buried her head in her hands and pretended not to know me.
After Toby got his shirt signed, a small group formed around Fred Ladd and he had to sign a couple of other autograph books before he could free himself. Luckily the movie started.
Maybe Fred Ladd will forgive me if I mention here that the early planning for Kimba`s 40 anniversary is under way set to coincide with the anniversary of the first New York City blackout that happened on the last day of voice work for the first U.S. episode of Kimba.
Okay, I had a little fun. I was hanging with my family, my people. These are my family, my people. People who set through the credits at the end of the movie and clap as the names of voice actors, the animators, and the director come up on the screen.
Oh, the movie. The movie was great. You know it is great. I`ve said it here before and I will say it again. Thank you for making it happen, Studios Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli. I needed to see it a second time. I would like to see it a few more times. I would like to have my own copy. HINT to Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli: Annie screenings and screeners, they make the animation community so happy.
So, okay, I know that the title of today`s blog is really tacky and that I really had to push to use it but where else am I going to get a chance to use such a line? And last night`s ASIFA screening at Harmony Gold was dominated by 2 animation and Anime greats with the name of Fred; Fred Ladd and Fred Patten.
Animation and Anime historian Fred Patten looked and sound great last night is his first public appearance since his stroke of last winter. He has lost a little weight. He was is a wheelchair and his right arm was immobilized in a form rubber arm support but his speech was clear and mind as sharp as ever.
Thank the gods, I have been worried about my friend, that was my first thought, but let`s be honest, I am sure that I am not the only animation history buff in the community that has been worried about losing all the knowledge inside on Fred Patten`s head.
Fred entered the screening after the lights went down which meant his presence was a nice surprise after a very enjoyable movie. A large crowd of well wishers formed around Fred Patten and I just had time to talk to him a little bit and pick up an envelope from him to pass on to Jerry Beck and Bob Miller, then I was crowded out by his other friends wanting to wish him well. It was great to see him out and about.
The love of animation makes us all a family. We come together at these events like favorite cousins that grew up together and only get to see each other at periodic family gatherings.
I am not sure if my wife understands about the animation family feeling. She did try to climb under her chair when I lead a verse of Kimba the White Lion to mark the pre-show entrance of Fred Ladd, the man that brought us Kimba, Astroboy, Gigantor, and many others.
As luck would have it my son, Tobias, was wearing a Gigantor 40th anniversary T-shirts that I had left over from last year`s Comic Con.
Do you think I should Ask Fred to sign my Gigantor T-shirt, joked my son?
Oh yes!! I said borrowing a Sharpy from an audience member in the seat behind me.
My wife, Ruth, who doesn`t come to these events often, for some unknown reason, buried her head in her hands and pretended not to know me.
After Toby got his shirt signed, a small group formed around Fred Ladd and he had to sign a couple of other autograph books before he could free himself. Luckily the movie started.
Maybe Fred Ladd will forgive me if I mention here that the early planning for Kimba`s 40 anniversary is under way set to coincide with the anniversary of the first New York City blackout that happened on the last day of voice work for the first U.S. episode of Kimba.
Okay, I had a little fun. I was hanging with my family, my people. These are my family, my people. People who set through the credits at the end of the movie and clap as the names of voice actors, the animators, and the director come up on the screen.
Oh, the movie. The movie was great. You know it is great. I`ve said it here before and I will say it again. Thank you for making it happen, Studios Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli. I needed to see it a second time. I would like to see it a few more times. I would like to have my own copy. HINT to Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli: Annie screenings and screeners, they make the animation community so happy.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Looking for Ed Friedman Tape
Still trying to catch. I got this from Bill Turner last week and just getting around to posting it. Shame on me.
Larry,
A friend of the family of Ed Friedman's called asking if we have a tape (audio) of Tom Sito's interview with him. Tom thinks this was done many years ago... Maybe 10 years ago. I made audio tapes of many of the "Evening's With", but apparently not this one. Usually there are two or three people taping these events. Can you put the call out on your blog asking if anyone has a copy of Tom's interview with Ed? Ed recently passed away and his daughter would really like the tape. Tom has given the ok for this. Thanks,
Bill
Tom on the Great Wall
This report from Tom Sito about his trip to China came in sometime yesterday but with only 3 hours sleep under my belt (students think they are the only ones missing sleep on finals week) I just got around to my e-mail this morning.
China
Recently Pat and I were invited to Japan to lecture to the Japan Digital Animation Festival held in Nagoya. While planning this trip I was contacted by the Beijing Film Academy. They said that since I would be on that side of the Earth anyway, perhaps I would want to come out to China to lecture their students? Mao Tse Tung once said a person who has not seen the Great Wall has had an incomplete life, so I accepted. After the JDAF/Nagoya ended we winged our way to Beijing.
Beijing is a big sprawling metropolis reflecting a society in rapid transition. The capitol is dotted with new construction everywhere. Beijing is sprucing itself up to host the Olympic Games in 2008. The East is Red, but you wouldn`t know it for all the new corporate offices for Microsoft, HP and Haagan Daaz that rise up all around you. The number of autos purchased has gone up 400% in the past two years. The streets that once teemed with bicycles now were jammed with autos all honking and screeching furiously.
Some taxi-drivers hang a red-tasseled image of Mao Tse Tung from their rear-view mirrors as a charm to ward off accidents. And guess what kind of dog I saw most people walking? Why, Pekinese, of course!
The Beijing Film Academy is in the Haidian District northwest of the Forbidden City. It is called the Silicon Valley of China. I will write a more in-depth account in Animation World Network -AWN.com. Pat and I were warmly greeted by the students and faculty. My translator, Jenny Yue Sun, was a graduate student of mine from USC. Fight on! She did a great job translating all my blather into fine Mandarin.
We lectured in the morning to graduate students and in the afternoon to undergrads and faculty. The film academy total has about 5,000 students and the animation group is about 250. They have about 150 MAYA workstations as well as facilities for stop motion and 2D. I saw many well-made student films, some very cartoony, and some reflecting uniquely Chinese imagery, like brush-painting. It was a joy to run for them the sequence from Disney`s DUMBO where Dumbo is rocked by his imprisoned mother. My mind went back to my friend Joe Grant, who wrote much of Dumbo. I wish I could have told him how his ideas still moved people, half a world away and several decades later. We toured an animation studio attached to the CCTV television stations. They were making programming for Chinese daytime TV.
Later we got to visit the Great Wall, the Ming Emperor Tombs and the Forbidden City. We had Peking Duck and checked out the McDonalds near Tienahmen Square. It was hazy and humid all our time there. Even a front of thunderstorms one night couldn`t clear the fog. For some reason, in Beijing, Jon Stewart`s `The Daily Show" is run on CNN , and they had a Vin Deisel festival on another station. Hmm, maybe this Open Door Policy isn`t all it`s cracked up to be . . .
Before we left Professor Sun LiJun presented me with a certificate as honorary faculty from the Academy and a bottle of Himalayan Brandy. I gave them Some goodies from Madagascar, and an animation union pin. I was told my talk was very inspiring to the students. I was grateful for the opportunity.
It was a unique experience to visit and I look forward to future trips.
TS
China
Recently Pat and I were invited to Japan to lecture to the Japan Digital Animation Festival held in Nagoya. While planning this trip I was contacted by the Beijing Film Academy. They said that since I would be on that side of the Earth anyway, perhaps I would want to come out to China to lecture their students? Mao Tse Tung once said a person who has not seen the Great Wall has had an incomplete life, so I accepted. After the JDAF/Nagoya ended we winged our way to Beijing.
Beijing is a big sprawling metropolis reflecting a society in rapid transition. The capitol is dotted with new construction everywhere. Beijing is sprucing itself up to host the Olympic Games in 2008. The East is Red, but you wouldn`t know it for all the new corporate offices for Microsoft, HP and Haagan Daaz that rise up all around you. The number of autos purchased has gone up 400% in the past two years. The streets that once teemed with bicycles now were jammed with autos all honking and screeching furiously.
Some taxi-drivers hang a red-tasseled image of Mao Tse Tung from their rear-view mirrors as a charm to ward off accidents. And guess what kind of dog I saw most people walking? Why, Pekinese, of course!
The Beijing Film Academy is in the Haidian District northwest of the Forbidden City. It is called the Silicon Valley of China. I will write a more in-depth account in Animation World Network -AWN.com. Pat and I were warmly greeted by the students and faculty. My translator, Jenny Yue Sun, was a graduate student of mine from USC. Fight on! She did a great job translating all my blather into fine Mandarin.
We lectured in the morning to graduate students and in the afternoon to undergrads and faculty. The film academy total has about 5,000 students and the animation group is about 250. They have about 150 MAYA workstations as well as facilities for stop motion and 2D. I saw many well-made student films, some very cartoony, and some reflecting uniquely Chinese imagery, like brush-painting. It was a joy to run for them the sequence from Disney`s DUMBO where Dumbo is rocked by his imprisoned mother. My mind went back to my friend Joe Grant, who wrote much of Dumbo. I wish I could have told him how his ideas still moved people, half a world away and several decades later. We toured an animation studio attached to the CCTV television stations. They were making programming for Chinese daytime TV.
Later we got to visit the Great Wall, the Ming Emperor Tombs and the Forbidden City. We had Peking Duck and checked out the McDonalds near Tienahmen Square. It was hazy and humid all our time there. Even a front of thunderstorms one night couldn`t clear the fog. For some reason, in Beijing, Jon Stewart`s `The Daily Show" is run on CNN , and they had a Vin Deisel festival on another station. Hmm, maybe this Open Door Policy isn`t all it`s cracked up to be . . .
Before we left Professor Sun LiJun presented me with a certificate as honorary faculty from the Academy and a bottle of Himalayan Brandy. I gave them Some goodies from Madagascar, and an animation union pin. I was told my talk was very inspiring to the students. I was grateful for the opportunity.
It was a unique experience to visit and I look forward to future trips.
TS
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Catch Up
So here I am still running behind. Feel like I`m in post production of something. Got in my list of presentations and presenters for Comic Con. Sorry I`m lat Gary. Sorry I still don`t know rock solid if one the people on the State of the Industry panel will be on the panel. Monday I say 2 student animations both of which have be as an animated character. In one I am run over by a wheel chair in the other I give an endorsement for a high school for demons. This is not the first time I have turned up in student animatons. I should hunt up the students and the rights to put an animated Larry Loc festival from all the students that did evil things to me in their animations. I always take it a s good thing that students want to use me as an animated character but maybe I am just too animated in my character and therefore an easy target?
My main recording deck died Sunday just before I started editing for Comic Con and classes. May have to pull another deck over by it does a really good job and I miss it.
Got a Perception card set in a tower case given to me. I love Perception cards. One of the best video in/video out card set ever. I plan of putting a new mother board in the case and building it up as an animation deck as soon as I have the time and money. Thanks John.
My main recording deck died Sunday just before I started editing for Comic Con and classes. May have to pull another deck over by it does a really good job and I miss it.
Got a Perception card set in a tower case given to me. I love Perception cards. One of the best video in/video out card set ever. I plan of putting a new mother board in the case and building it up as an animation deck as soon as I have the time and money. Thanks John.
