A Day In Burbank:

This morning as the kids run around getting ready for school and my beard, that I have grown to lengths so that I can be Santa at Christmas, is finally driving me crazy, I get my Z Z Top face ready for a day in fair Burbank. It is a happening town.

Got a noon meeting at the Smokehouse and a 3 o`clock at Woodbury (stop motion - cool). Don`t forget that there is an ASIFA volunteer meeting tonight at 7 at the Animation Center (2114 W. Burbank Blvd) so you might want to spend some time in Burbank too.

If I am not mistaken the subject of this night`s meeting is volunteers for the up coming Annie Awards. (spots have become limited in the last couple of years as the Annies get bigger and better each year)  ¶ 6:55 AM

  Archive: Spumco Drawings By Vincent Waller Today we digitized a batch of drawings donated by John Kricfalusi. They are sketches by Spumco director, Vincent Waller.



ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive

Enjoy
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive  ¶ 6:54 PM

  Animation Invades Live Action! Last July 29th the Motion Picture Academy presented an amazing show about animation performance. A sellout crowd saw Brad Bird, Eric Goldberg, The animators of Lord of the Rings and others present a rare insight into animation, both 2D and 3D. Those who didn't make it then know now they missed something pretty cool. Now the same folks are at it again:

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL of the MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY PRESENTS:
ANIMATION INVADES LIVE ACTION
TUESDAY DECEMBER 6TH, 7:30PM
At the Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills

This show will explore how animation and live action have blended together to create a new cinematic language. ROGER RABBIT, KING KONG, I-ROBOT, POLAR EXPRESS- where does the animated film end and the live action film begin? What is the future? Scheduled guests include John Dykstra, Bill Kroyer, Ken Ralston, Rob Minkoff, Alfred Molina, Bob Kurtz, Anthony LaMolinara, Steven Poster and Tom Sito. Plus lots of rare footage.

ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Tickets on Sale NOW, $5.00 for the general public.
Doors open at 6:30PM.
For more info and how to order, call 310-247-3000  ¶ 8:58 PM

 

When Brad Bird got one of his many well deserved Annies last year he thanked Disney Marketing. I know that it might be seen as cool and hip to be down on Disney in some parts of the animation community but I don`t think that even the hardcore Disney distracters can fault them on their marketing skills.

There is no way I would have bought this box of candy without Goofy on the box. And the game on the back, like Orcson Welles playing chess with whisky miniatures and drinking the pieces he takes, the kids get sugared up slowly over time. Dead brilliant! As a guy who has done some marketing in my day, like Brad I take my hat off to the guys at Disney marketing. I picked these up at the 99 Cent Only store for 99 cents.  ¶ 10:44 AM

  Never Say Never:
I went out to the movies yesterday. But that is not my topic. There was a preview for King Kong. I love Willis O`brian and what I like to think of as the real Kong. Not too fond of the Dino piece of S - - - from a few years back. Not looking forward to anybody remaking my RKO classic. But damn, this looks good. It has the feel of the real Kong, it is set in the time period of the real Kong and I am going to go see it. Something I swore I would not do.  ¶ 3:09 PM

 
Annie Tickets on Sale:
Tickets for the 33rd Annual Annie Awards are now available to all members of ASIFA-Hollywood at the special price of $65 (2 ticket maximum) through December 4, 2005. On December 5, tickets will be available to members of ASIFA-Hollywood and the general public at $75.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Alex Theatre Box Office at (818) 243-2539 daily between noon and 6 p.m. A per ticket fee applies if purchasing over the phone. Please contact the box office for more details.  ¶ 4:40 PM

  Tradition:
So here it is the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the day that stores start putting up Christmas decorations. Man has that tradition been gone a lone time. This last week, if we put aside all the computer related stuff I have been fighting, has mostly about job referrals.

That also is an old tradition in the animation field, and thankfully one that hasn`t changed much over the years. It happens when animation people get together. I got together with a lot of people last weekend with the Annie judging for Gaming and TV Production categories. Job referrals for seven people and two animation programs (entry level jobs) passed through my hands in the course of the week.

Network, I always tell my students. You want to be where the jobs are floating around because that ups the chances that one of them is going to be just right for you, for me.

This next week sees the start of the early planning phase of the Afternoon of Remembrance. This most meaningful event is put on in January each year by the Animation Guild, Women in Animation, and ASIFA-Hollywood.

Now I need to be part of another volunteer project like I need another major computer disaster (gods forbid) but this truly beautiful and meaningful remembrance of all of the Animation People who have passed from our ranks within the year is something I have always felt strongly about. And the people who put it on each year are some of my favorite people in the world.

Now back to the grind. I have four class databases to rebuilt and another one to update. I have a number of programs and lots of data to reinstall and I have a syllabus to rewrite for a new school I am really looking forward to teaching at come January. Life goes on. And I some how have to get my email working again.  ¶ 6:58 AM

 

Here it is Thanksgiving and I am grateful to be back in these pages. I am updating my virus detection software even as we speak. I want to give a big thank you to Steve Worth who keep these pages updated while I was fight the binary demons. I am behind on a lot of stuff and will be playing catch up for the next couple of weeks.  ¶ 10:01 AM

  Archive: Tenggren's Little Trapper Happy Thanksgiving!

The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive will be closed Thursday in honor of Thanksgiving. We will be back at work, digitizing artwork on Tuesday. In the meantime, I posted a batch of scans of one of Gustaf Tenggren's best Golden Books... The Little Trapper.



ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive  ¶ 5:33 PM

  Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival We received this email today...

The Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival is Dec. 9-11 at the Autry National Center. We are showing more than 80 short films from around the world made for children.

Two programs we have for children on Saturday night Dec. 10 showcase the most creative animation we received for children ages 4 and older. Program #3 is at 7:15 p.m. and Program #4 is at 8:15 p.m. The 8:15 p.m. program includes "Moongirl," the new animated short from filmmaker Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach").

We would like to offer $1 off each ticket purchased to your members if they mention your association at the door. Regular ticket prices are $5 adults; $4 ages 17 and younger. As seating is limited, your members may want to purchase in advance at www.presaleticketing.com then ask for a $1 refund at the door (though there is a small ticket charge for the online service).

We also have numerous animated shorts throughout the weekend. See our Web site at www.lachildrensfilm.org

Thanks!
Dan

Dan Bennett
Executive Director
Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival
www.lachildrensfilm.org  ¶ 11:14 PM

  Archive: Tin Pan Alley Cats Today we posted images from Bob Clampett's classic, Tin Pan Alley Cats.



ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog

Thanks
Stephen Worth
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive  ¶ 4:15 PM

  Wendy Jackson Hall This article is taken in part from the notice posted in Animation World Network and is reproduced with their permission.

Independent animator/educator/writer Wendy Jackson Hall passed away Nov. 14, 2005, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. She was hospitalized over the past weekend for blood clots in her lungs and was trying to get stabilized enough undergo biopsies for cancer when she died of complications. She was 32.

An alumnus of the Rhode Island School of Design, she was part of the early core of AWN & Animation World Network, which she joined in 1996 as a sales rep and advanced to associate editor of the magazine. She departed the online publication at the end of 1999 and went on to write about animation for many publications such as the ANIMATION JOURNAL, ANIMATION MAGAZINE, ASIFA NEWS, AWN, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, VARIETY and WIRED MAGAZINE.

While a busy freelance journalist specializing in animation, she taught animation production courses at Santa Monica College as well as schools in California and Massachusetts before getting married to Porter Hall and soon moved up to Washington where she continued to teach, write, animate and consult to animation clients that included AtomFilms and Nicktoons. Jackson Hall served the Ottawa 00 International Jury.

But prior to all that she was general manager of our office here at ASIFA-Hollywood. In those years Wendy helped coordinate events such as the 1995 Annie Awards and the 1996 Animation Opportunities Expo. She was a great asset in those years, whose cheerful smile and demeanor set a pleasant tone around the ASIFA office.

Wendy was a young woman, with family and career who was taken much too soon. Our hearts go out to her family.

Board of Directors
ASIFA-Hollywood  ¶ 9:42 AM

  Here I am in the teacher`s workroom at the college I teach at on Tuesdays this semester. I am still fighting the good fight on the computer crash front. Got back on the internet yesterday but had to disable my virus protection to do so, so I am still not on.

Finished judging for the Gaming Annies Saturday and did the TV Production on Sunday. A big thanks to my judges. Both teams came up with very good slates. They will be announced on Dec 5th. when all the others are announced.

Also on Dec. 5th. the cut off date for members to buy Annie tickets at reduced prices. After the 5th. members will have to pay full price. Here is a link to the Alex Theater box office but they do not seem to have them listed http://www.alextheatre.org/boxoffice.html Maybe give them a call.  ¶ 7:20 AM

  What The Archive Website Is For A Note From Steve:

I'm having a little trouble getting across the purpose of the A-HAA! Blog website... The archive website isn't the archive itself. It's the blog reporting on the progress of the archive. When I post a movie or drawing, it isn't just a "funny cartoon", it represents an aspect of the progress of the archive, or an important bit of information that needs to be more widely known. One cartoon on the website might represent hundreds of cartoons in the archive itself.

The A-HAA! Blog isn't just a "cool website to look at stuff". I need the active participation of the artists out there in the "blogosphere". Underneath each post in the A-HAA! Blog is a comments link. That's there for you to comment on what you've learned and to show how you're applying it to your own work. Share your thoughts and sketches related to the post. Discuss the importance of what you see with others. Analyze what you're seeing and figure out what makes it work so well.

Also, the past posts in the blog are maintained for you to dig into and continue to use. I've posted links in the header to the MEDIA, BIOGRAPHY, FILMOGRAPHY, VOLUNTEER and META posts. Click on those and see how they work. Just because a post is a couple of weeks old, it doesn't mean that it isn't still relevant.

The purpose of this archive is to exchange ideas, and to spark inspiration. That requires YOUR active participation.

Here is what we scanned on Thursday...



More info at The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog.

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive  ¶ 1:26 PM

  I am alive but I very much hate Window XP (eXtra Fascis) so very, very much. If I have not returned your email it is because I have not gotten your email for the last 3 days or anyone else`s email. I will try to get my email working sometime today. I am really not being rude, well, okay, I am being rude to Little Billy Gates but then he started it.  ¶ 10:23 AM

  The Uncle of Anime Comes to Fullerton:

Monday night I had Fred Ladd out to talk to my class at Cal State Fullerton. The following photos are from the meet and greet after the event.

I invited Fred because he worked and works in a side of animation and film that does not get much coverage it the normal animation program, the business and finance side of production.

Fred led us through the early days of his career when he was importing/exporting film under the Marshal Plan. He got paid in film form other countries and had to figure out how to make money with it in the U.S. markets. (which is how he because such a talented editor)

He then took us through a lot of his other film deals. Got into the trading of exclusive distribution territories for services in the process of creating the film.

More than a few students looked a little taken back when he explained that at this level animations are considered Product. Not something that the normal animator likes to think about, but something I feel they need to know.

We watched a lot of his films, the students got to ask a few questions and we ran out of time far too soon.












We than had a small reception, the Pencil Mileage Club presented Fred with a club book bag and sketchbook as a thank you for coming out to Fullerton. We had a little food, we talked a lot, and Fred signed autographs.

He brought along Gigantor pictures from a Comic Con event he did for me a couple of years back and a few of the Kimba collector packets from last week`s 40 year reunion (the money from these went to ASIFA) Thank you Fred.  ¶ 7:47 AM

  Archive: 15% More Betty Boop!

Today I posted 15% more Betty Boop than you have ever seen before!

ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive  ¶ 8:15 PM

  I have been offline all weekend with a nasty computer crash. Just faught my way back on today. Had to buy a new computer, old one was smoked. Hoping to save some of my animation, I have all but 2 scenes backed up. Just got to my email and am sad to see that we have lost another animation legend.

DEAR LARRY,

you may want to make a mention of this on the ASIFA Blogg.

ASIFA/Hollywood learned this week of the death of animator DEREK LAMB. He was 68. Since the 1960's Derek was a mainstay of ASIFA Canada and the most active member of the National Filmboard since Norman McClaren. He won awards including two oscars for his short films Every Child, Special Delivery, Why Me? and Lady Fishburnes Guide to Good Manners. Many will remember his credits for the PBS series MYSTERY! where he brought to life the quirky style of cartoonist Edward Gorey. He had a long battle with cancer and died surrounded by family and friends.

Thanks- Tom

  ¶ 5:18 PM

  Kimba the White Lion 40 years to the day that the first episode was finished - Glendale Library Reuion 11-10-1965 to 11-10-2005





Set up for Kimba event



Fred sets up cues for the night with the video/sound booth






Sadao Miyamoto (an alumnus of Tezuka's Mushi Productions), Jared Cook, translator & interpreter for Tezuka , and Fred Ladd back to camera




Fred Ladd, Sadao Miyamoto, Sonia Owens back to camera and Jared Cook



Craig and Robin Anderson who came in from Baltimore for the event www.KimbaWLion.com




Filmography, voice cast photo and 36 page Kimba book



Miyamoto-san had day to day insights into Tezuka`s Mushi Productions



Sonia Owens one of the last of the voice crew



Fred Patten, author of the How Kimba Came to Be essay in the Kimba booklet




Tinker Bell as MC





Fred intros Kimba screening




















The smoking gun, Kimba`s father in the clouds  ¶ 9:50 AM