ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD looking for ANNIE AWARD photos and film footage!

ASIFA-Hollywood is currently creating a short film documenting the history of the Annie Awards and we want you to be a part of our production! The film will document some of the highlights from past years and will be presented at the 33rd Annual Annie Award Ceremony.

Wešre looking for photos and film footage from prior Annie Award ceremonies. From Jpegs and GIFs to Super 8 film and VHS tapes, wešll work with any format you have!

For all inquiries, please send us an email at anniephotos@yahoogroups.com. Wešll respond to you with specific information on how we can connect with you, as well as answer any questions you may have.

For more information on the Annie Awards, visit the official website at www.annieawards.org

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD saves a DICK HUEMER Mural!

On November 20th, 2004, Asifa Hollywood members, led by organization president Antran Manoogian, helped preserve several walls in a home once owned by Fleischer, Screen Gems, Disney legend Dick Huemer. Humer's son Richard alerted Asifa Hollywood and Antran was able to negotiate with the demolition company to save two bedroom walls which featured original artwork by Huemer of classic Disney characters. The artwork is now being kept at a temporary storage location.

The walls in their original house (above) - and now sitting in storage (below)

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD presents TEACHER'S PET!

On November 9th, 2004, Asifa Hollywood members were treated to a screening on the Disney lot with the producers and creators of Disney's TEACHER'S PET. Producer Stephen Swofford, artist/designer Gary Baseman and co-creator & writer Bill Steinkellner (above, with Asifa-Hollywood president Antran Manoogian and Annie Awards webmaster David Derks at right) discussed the film with our members and gave insights on creating a series within the Disney institution.

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD presents THE INCREDIBLES!

On November 5th, 2004, Asifa-Hollywood members were first in line to see Pixar's latest triumph THE INCREDIBLES. Asifa-Hollywood played host to a screening at the Writer's Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills for its members. Brad Bird was scheduled to attend, but had to be en route to Europe to open the film there, and we will reschedule a meeting with Brad at a future date. In his stead, Pete Docter (director of "Monsters Inc.") and two of Pixar's top animators, Dave DeVan and Mike Venturini, were there to answer questions from the audience. Disney also mounted a small art display and served dessert after the screening.

ASIFA-Hollywood Event Empowers Advocacy for Hand-drawn Art

Originally posted June 28, 2004 on Animation Magazine.net
By Rita Street

Saturday, June 26, was a major day for hand-drawn animation as ASIFA-Hollywood presented its first 2D Expo at Woodbury University in Burbank, Calif. The brainchild of animation historian and board member Jerry Beck, the all-day event brought out high profile artist-advocates like Eric Goldberg (Looney Tunes: Back in Action), Donovan Cook (Disney's The Three Musketeers) and Pixar story artist Jim Capobianco (Toy Story 2), as well as a large number of animator attendees.

The Expo opened at 9 a.m. and a capacity crowd quickly filled the trade room which featured the DigiCel and Bauhaus software companies, sketchbook signings with artists Stephen Silver and Bob Harper, collectible bookseller Stuart Ng and ASIFA's own Animation Archive Project where Steve Worth showcased a breathtaking display of original drawings by the likes of Ub Iwerks, Irv Spence and, an extreme rarity, character designs by Terrytoons master, Jim Tyer.

At 10 a.m. the trade hall cleared out for the first panel discussion on the future of hand-drawn animation. Moderator Beck was joined by panelists Goldberg, Cook and producer John Andrews (Beavis & Butt-Head Do America) of Klasky Csupo's commercial production division, Ka-Chew. This highly opinionated and lively group expressed their deep love of the 2D format and compassion for its current status as hiding "underground," waiting, as Cook put it, "for a major box office success," to bring the medium back into the good graces of studio execs.

Animators network in exhibitors area during the 2-D Expo. For more photos and an expo report visit www.ronniedelcarmen.com

Cook himself has experienced the painful realities of studio disinterest in 2D. His new movie, featuring no less than Disney's three biggest icons, Mickey, Donald and Goofy, will go direct to DVD rather than receiving a theatrical release. Yet, he was positive about the production experience, explaining that even though he and his team had to work from the written page (instead of a wholly drawn story), they were able to improvise and have fun within the set framework of the locked-down script. Cook said that one of the best parts of production was seeing the gags and fun ideas that his story artists brought to their boards.

Goldberg agreed that one element that seems to be missing in the world of modern hand-drawn animation is a true sense of fun and entertainment. "My default position," he said, "is lying in front of the TV, as I was just yesterday, watching a Looney Tunes marathon. I just can't get over the energy of those cartoons, but it's just that sort of energy that has fallen out of favor. There's no sense of exuberance anymore. We need to rethink that and get visual kinetics back into our films again."

All agreed that getting studios to accept downright side-splitting fun from cartoon animation is an uphill battle. Goldberg explained that Hollywood's lack of interest in hand-drawn feature animation has driven him to take matters into his own hands. "Many of us feel we've had to become entrepreneurs in order to survive. And in a way, that's kind of good news. As hand-drawn goes more underground and independent, more interesting things will see the light of day." Goldberg revealed that he is working on his own feature with a budget of about $30 million to be animated on U.S. soil. Of course, the toughest part of his project is finding the financing, but he is looking to other-than-entertainment angels for investment, particularly in the world of real estate. Cook admitted that he is also developing his own projects rather than immediately returning to the studio mindset.

Another top-notch panel that showcased some fantastic hand-drawn short animation and discussed the pitfalls and glories of filmmaking for oneself was moderated by Tom Sito (Osmosis Jones) and featured animator/directors Jim Capobianco, Raul Garcia (The Lion King), Milt Knight (Cool World), Mr. Lawrence (Rocko's Modern Life), Bert Klein (LOTR: Return of the King), Mark Kausler (The Lion King).

Capobianco treated the audience to a pencil test version of his upcoming short, Leonardo, art directed by fellow Pixar artist and indie comic hero Ronnie del Carmen. This sweetly funny and superbly animated tale depicts the master artist as he dreams of, and grapples with, the art of flight. Knight brought another crowd-pleaser, two-minutes of his jazzy and highly stylized upcoming short, Caprice Teen of Tomorrow. Klein showed his politically incorrect and wonderful short, Boys Night Out, which features a man taking his step-son to a strip joint: again, just some great animation and hipster art direction. And, Kausler stole the show with his little retro masterpiece, It's The Cat. Perfectly set to a 1927 recording of "The Cat" by Harry Reser's Syncopater's, this jolly affair is packed to overflowing with of some of the best and most rascally fun classic animation many have seen in years.

The main question posed to the panel, "Why make a short?" got a nice answer from Bert Klein. "You get tired of studio productions, of them costing an arm and a leg for no reason and all the endless meetings about nothing. I wanted to make the kind of film that I would want to see. And, you want to have fun making a film; that's something I forgot. Of course, I've asked myself 'Why make a short?' many times, especially considering the money. I can't honestly say I've made something I want. I still cringe at some of the timing and cutting, but nothing is as terrible or as wonderful as making your own film. I don't think you should make a short as a stepping stone either. Don't let that be your incentive. Making your film is just going to be as good as [life] gets."

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD HOSTS A UPA REUNION!

On Saturday April 24th 2004 Asifa-Hollywood hosted a screening & tribute to UPA at the AFI. It was an incredible success thanks to the number of UPA veteran's who showed up and participated.
Eight films were screened (35mm prints courtesy of Mike Schlesinger at Sony Pictures) including ROOTY TOOT TOOT, UNICORN IN THE GARDEN, WILLIE THE KID, TELL-TALE HEART, HOW NOW McBOING BOING, CHRISTOPHER CRUMPET, HAM & HATTIE: SAILING AND VILLAGE BAND, and in CinemaScope, MAGOO'S PUDDLE JUMPER.
Tee Bosustow showed us a brief clip of his work-in-progress documenmary "UPA: Mavericks, Mayhem and Magoo" which included rare 1952 footage of Bill Melendez animating Christopher Crumpet.
But the highlight of the day was our guest panel (pictured above, left to right): Host Jerry Beck (standing), Bob McIntosh, Joe Siracusa, Alan Zaslove, Ed Friedman, Fred Crippen and Mel Levin. Also in attendance, Bob Kurtz, Henrietta Jordan (UPA manager), Martha Sigall and Mrs. Art Babbit.
The program was taped for Bosustow's documentary. We all felt transported to the 1950s - all the panelists were candid, and no one had a bad word about the studio or its directors, designers and producers. It sounded like they were all having a ball - and they produced animation changed the world.
The 75 seat screening room was packed - with extra chairs and standing room, attendence was over 100 participants. My thanks to the panelists and the audience who shared this experience.

The Animation Guild opens its free computer lab CG software and computers available to members

The Animation Guild is offering the free use of a computer lab to its members in good standing. The self-instructed lab, located at our offices at 4729 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, has Macintosh and Windows computers with the Alias Maya, Adobe PhotoShop, Apple Shake and Macromedia Flash programs.
The lab is open to all members in good standing (active or on honorable withdrawal.) Initially, the lab will be open Mondays from 1 pm to 9 pm, Wednesdays from 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.
Advance reservations are necessary and can be made by calling Trell at the Guild office at (818) 766-7151 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. We cannot take reservations by e-mail. Reservations will be first-come first served, and only for one week in advance. We will start taking reservations each Wednesday at 8:30 am for the following week. We cannot guarantee the lab's availability to members who show up without a reservation.
Members can use the lab as an adjunct to their own training, to self-teach themselves on software programs, to work on their own CG projects, or to compile CG reels and demos. The lab cannot be used for non-CG-related projects of any kind. (Please note that the lab computers do not have Internet connections.)
The lab is set up for members to teach themselves, and full documentation will be available. Although there will be someone available to answer simple questions or work out hardware or software problems, we cannot promise there will be someone available to help with advanced or technical questions.
Depending on the lab's popularity, in months to come we may expand its hours, offer more software programs, change the lab rules and/or limit the number of hours per week that a member can use the lab. The Guild is not offering CG classes at this time.
With fewer and fewer available opportunities for reasonably-priced CG training, the Guild is pleased to offer this opportunity for members to expand and polish their skills.

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD begins fund-raising for Virtual Archive, Museum, Library and Research Facility!

ASIFA-Hollywood has embarked on an ambitious project to expand the offerings of the current Animation Center to include a virtual archive, museum, library and research facility for the benefit of the animation community and general public. The first step in achieving our goals involves the establishment of a computer system capable of documenting, cataloging, and retrieving images and sounds related to the art of animation.
This virtual archive would be the ultimate artist's "clip file". A central server would house hundreds of thousands of digital images, movies and sound files, all searchable through a keyword database. This central server would be connected to satillite work stations at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center. ASIFA members would have access to the system for their personal reference and research. Eventually, the Animation Database will be brought online, so ASIFA-Hollywood members will have instant access to the Animation Database the world over.
ASIFA-Hollywood members will also have the opportunity to arrange to digitize important artwork and research material in their own personal collections for inclusion in the database. ASIFA is in an unique position to be able to quickly pull together a broad array of valuable information, and provide it to the animation community as a whole. In a short period of time, we are confident that the database will become the pre-eminent digital collection devoted to animation in the world.
The database will contain a wide range of material... illustration and print cartoons catagorized by subject and artist; all kinds of animation art from character designs and model sheets to animation drawings and background paintings. Movies of pencil tests and key scenes by famous animators will be included, as will audio files documenting the work of major voice over artists. All of the digital files will be accessible by a simple keyword search. Artists will be able to quickly see different approaches to the design of a specific subject, research artists that interest them, and gain inspiration from the rich history of animation.
The first phase of the project involves purchasing the necessary equipment and building a prototype Animation Database which will be available to members at kiosk workstations in the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center. The fundraising goal to make this start is $50,000. If every artist who stands to benefit from this resource contributed to the cause, the Animation Archive will be a reality in a short period of time.
We will be staging a fundraising event soon. We encourage you to participate and become a part of this project. If you would like to make a donation to the Archive Project, you can send them to the ASIFA Office...

ASIFA-Hollywood
721 S. Victory Bd.
Burbank, CA 91502

Please write ARCHIVE PROJECT on the note line of your check, and we will make sure it gets into the right budget. Your support will be clearly visible in the growth of the project over the next three years. We will keep you informed as the project moves forward.
If you would like to volunteer to help ASIFA reach its goals, please plan to attend one of the monthly Act of Membership meetings. They are held at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Center on the last Wednesday of every month.
Click here for more information on the Asifa-Hollywood Animation Archive.

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD annouces New Membership Dues

Burbank, CA (August 12, 2003) ­ With 2003 in full swing, ASIFA-Hollywood has big plans to expand its offerings and programs to all members. To keep up with the demands of printing and mailing, and increase the quality and number of member benefits, the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors has authorized an increase to the general membership dues. Effective October 1, 2003, annual member rates will be as follows:

• General Membership $60
• Corporate Membership $5,000 (includes 100 memberships)
• Additional Corporate Members $45
• Full-Time Students $20
• Membership from Outside the U.S.A. $70

Get the Latest on Member Benefits and Special Offers
Current membership benefits include discounts to all screenings and special events, as well as regular invitations to industry screenings of current animated feature films, which often feature the filmmakers discussing their productions. Last season, members received free videos and DVDs of top rated animated movies for Annie Award consideration. As a bonus to all members, the regular monthly screenings at AFI will be FREE after October 1!
To increase the number of benefit offerings, ASIFA-Hollywood has ambitious plans to create a virtual archive, museum, library and research facility devoted to animation. Fundraising is underway for the first stage of the virtual archive that will be accessible by you, our members. Be sure to check your mailings and our Web site for up-to-date news with this very special project, as well as current news on Animation Preservation, the Annie Awards, and a few surprises!

Corporate Membership
If you work for an animation studio with at least 100 employees, your employer may offer corporate memberships to its employees. Be sure to contact your H.R. Representative for more details. Basic corporate membership rates will remain the same. Corporations may also renew or add additional memberships at the old rate of $30 per person until October 1.

If you act soon, you can enjoy member benefits for one year at the old rate. If your membership expires in December 2003, you may renew it before October 1 and avoid the rate increase until December 2004.

Donate Your Animation Artwork to ASIFA-Hollywood!

Help Promote the Art of Animation and Save Money on Your Taxes. Donate Your Animation Artwork to ASIFA-Hollywood

You can assist the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood in its mission to advance the art of animation by donating your animation artwork to the organization.
Your generous contribution of artwork will permit ASIFA-Hollywood to achieve this goal either through the sale of these donated items, or by adding these materials to ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Archive.
As an educational 501(c)(3) California non-profit organization, gifts made to ASIFA-Hollywood may be tax-deductible (please consult your tax advisor).
For further information about making contributions to ASIFA-Hollywood, please call (818) 842-8330, or e-mail the organization at: info@asifa-hollywood.org

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ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD MEMBERSHIP BENFITS:

Bruce Schwartz of Astounding Fantasy Art Books and Comics in Burbank is offering ASIFA-Hollywood members a 15% discount on purchases at his store.

Astounding Comics is at
2319 W. Olive St.,
Burbank, CA 91506.
Phone (818) 953-7234.

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Events at the ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD Animation Center are co-sponsored by the

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This page is maintained through the courtesy of the members and volunteers of ASIFA-Hollywood. Its contents are copyright © 2005 ASIFA-Hollywood (and individual contributors) and may not be duplicated or redistributed without the prior written consent of the Board of Directors of ASIFA-Hollywood.

CREDITS
This page was updated by Jerry Beck.
ASIFA-Hollywood President, Antran Manoogian.