Call for Animators:

I love the Merv Newland Anijam that came out in 1984. I love it so much that I am jumping at the chance to do something kind of like it at this year`s San Diego Comic Con. We have a 2-D paperless animation system on loan from DreamWorks from Friday morning, July 21st until Sunday afternoon July 23rd.

Eric Goldberg has committed to some time animating on this puppy. David Burgess, the guy behind the hyperactive squirrel on caffeine in Over the Hedge, is committed to doing some work on this project. The ASIFA board are lining up top talent to hit the board. But we still need animators to sign up and do some animation.

If you are an animator and love to do 2-D, then here is your chance. It is going to be straight-ahead production, each animator doing a scene and leaving an ending pose for the animator coming after. We will be video taping the animators at work for exta features on the DVD.

It is free form animation, it is animation for the love of animation, it is fun, it is experimental, it is the way it was backin school. Come be part of this animation experience.

I will edit together whatever we have at the end of the weekend and make sure that each animator that took part in this animation jam gets a DVD of the finished animation.

Email me or stop by the ASIFA-Hollywood booth #5434 and sign up and join in the fun. Or just come by and watch the animators at work.  ¶ 9:57 AM

  My wife puts up with a lot of my ASIFA deadline crap. This last Sunday she put her foot down and dragged me screaming and kicking to Catalina Island where I had a thoroughly enjoyable three days but had no way to get on the internet or get my email.

I still have gigantic deadlines hanging over my head and I will be running around like a mad man right into summer semester and comic con but I enjoyed myself none-the-less. And my wife is a little happier with me. Which is good.


Volunteer Meeting tonight - 7 PM

(see details below)

A schedule of ASIFA-Hollywood programming with panelists listed is available at the ASIFA Comic Con Website. Click Image. Then click the panel link.



Just checked in with Eric Graf on the Evening With DVD project, he is done with the edit of the Bill Melendez interview and just started correcting the sound on the Floyd Norman interview.


Cover art is coming along nicely. We will have this disk available for purchase at this year`s comic con. Make sure to get your copy.

David Burgess and Jeff Wike of DreamWorks are putting together a paperless 2-D animation system for comic con. Top animators from the industry will be in the booth (5434) animating all weekend long. We will have an animation jam in the process going from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon. David is going to be animating some on Friday, Eric Goldberg said he would stop by the booth and do some work. If you are an animator, stop by and sign up of a time slot. If you just like animation, stop by and see it being created.  ¶ 10:09 AM

  Important Notice for ASIFA Comic Con Volunteers:

If you are going to be working the ASIFA booth at Comic Con or working on the video team, you need to come to this month`s ASIFA-Hollywood Volunteer meeting.

Wednesday June 28th
Woodbury University
7 PM
Room D104 (Design Center)

7500 Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91510  ¶ 5:27 AM

 

Been working on the case art for the Evening With: interview DVD project. It helps that I have photos of Floyd and Bill from animation events so that I don`t have to mess around with photo copyright release forms. Eric Graf is moving along with the edit and it looks like we will be burning disks very soon.

(The photo of Bill is from the Chuck Jones Gallery opening at Fashion Island last year. And the Floyd photo is from the LA premiere of Dream on Silly Dreamer.)

Speaking of Dream on Silly Dreamer if you are going to be at Comic Con on Thursday night Dan Lund and Tony West are doing a screening of their award winner documentary with a panel of Disney and ex-Disney animators to follow.

Dream on Silly Dreamer -Thursday 20th of July 7:00-8:30pm ROOM 6B

Dan Lund - Director: Dream on Silly Dreamer Effects Animator: The Emperor's New Groove, Mulan, Pocahontas, The Lion King, The Prince and the Pauper.

Tony West - Producer: Dream on Silly Dreamer, Effects Animator: Curious George, Brother Bear, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperor's New Groove, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Rescuers Down Under , etc.

Dorse Lanpher - Effects Animator: The Emperor's New Groove, Tarzan, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Land Before Time, An American Tail, Space Ace, Dragon's Lair, The Secret of NIMH, The Black Hole, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pete's Dragon, etc.

John Tucker - Effects Animator: The Emperor's New Groove, Mulan, Pocahontas, The Lion King, The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Tron, Layout Artist: The Kwicky Koala Show, The Challenge of the Super Friends,

Mauro Maressa - Animation Supervisor: Alien 3, Solar Crisis, Effects Animator: Fantasia/2000, Mulan, Hercules, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Animator: Dream on Silly Dreamer, Matinee, The Monster Squad, Big Trouble in Little China, Fire and Ice, Heavy Metal Assistant Animator: The Black Cauldron, etc.

Kris Heller - Clean-Up: Mulan, Pocahontas, The Lion King Assistant Animator: Home on the Range, Treasure Planet, Atlantis, Tarzan Breakdown Artist: Aladdin, Beauty and
the Beast, The Prince and the Pauper, etc.

Jacki Sanchez - Rough Inbetweener: Pocahontas, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Prince and the Pauper

When I was out at Internet Movie Data Base checking credits I did a little adding up of dates and found that this panel has 120 years of combined experience in the field of animation. That`s a lot of experience.  ¶ 1:03 PM

  I got this email about 4 days ago from one of my star students in my old ROP program. Just got around to answering it because of all of the Comic Con and end of term stuff I am buried under.

Hi Mr. Loc,

I was a student in your ROP animation class many times several years ago, while I was still going to school. (Remember I made that "Retired Rabbit" animation, the evolution cell-worm-fish-amphibian animation, and the one with animals living in an underground city?) Now I've graduated from UCI with a degree in art, and my daughter is going to school, so I'm finally able to start working. I was wondering if you knew of anyone hiring in the field
of 2D animation?

-L_ _ _ _ _ _

Thought I would share my reply here because lots of students ask me how to break in to animation and also because I have lots of Comic Con related deadlines and this way I can post something I have taken time to write and cover two bases at once.

L_ _,

Great to hear from you. Sorry about slow response time, it is my busy time of the year, Comic Con, last week of classes at one of my schools and all the grading attached to that.

There are lots of jobs in animation and even lots of jobs in 2-D animation. Disney is ramping up to get back into 2-D. The problem is that there are also a lot of people already in the industry in line for those jobs.

It is Catch 22 time always in animation. Have you been doing your own animations? Do you have anything to put in the festivals? What is your demo reel like? Got any credits to your name? Have you been active in animation societies? Do you know people in the field? And better yet do they know you? Do they know that they can depend on you to do what you say when you say and to a professional level?

Animation is a small community. Everybody knows everybody else. If you are on the outside you don`t have much chance of getting through the door. If and when you are on the inside
there is a giant support network, an extended family, that looks after you.

There are proven roadways through the walls into the inner sanctum. Tried and true paths that will get you there but not it a week or a month or in most cases even in a year.

Animate and submit to festivals. Don`t wait around on the sidelines waiting for someone to give you a job in animation before you animate. Prove you are worth hiring by animation your own ideas. Many careers have started on the festival circuit. Some people have made a career of independent animation.

Internships, get into an animation program somewhere or an entertainment business class so that you will have the opportunity to get an internship. (You need to be a student in most cases to work for free - Quid Pro Quo - this for that - work for grade) Get more than one internship. Get as many as you can. More internships more chances to prove your worth and make them want to hire you.

Network, network, and network some more. Join ASIFA, Women in Animation, SIGGRAPH, the Visual Effects Society. And go to all their events. Get your face seen. Take classes at the Animation Guild. Volunteer with these groups. Prove that you are a person who can be trusted to do what you say you will and get the job done on time. With deadlines and budgets what they are no one is going to risk hiring you for a real job until they are pretty sure you won`t let them down. But volunteering is another story. They don`t risk as much but you do. You risk your reputation. Don`t let them down or you are leting yourself down. Everybody knows everybody else.

You will slowly become part of the animation community and once you are part of the community you will be tied in and have a better chance of hearing about the available jobs. You will also stand a better chance of getting one.

Build your reputation and good luck. There are easier jobs to get but none are as much fun.

Larry

  ¶ 6:23 AM

  Interview DVD Finding its Way:

Just talked to Eric Graf of Video Resources. Eric is a long time ASIFA member and an active volunteer at the Archives Project. He is also a professional editor. With the blessings of Video Resources in Santa Ana (where he works) he is editing our Evening With interview DVD project.

He is just finishing the Bill Melendez interview and then he starts on the Floyd Norman interview. I just ordered the blank DVD cases and need to start work on the case artwork. More details as it happens.  ¶ 2:57 PM

  Pixar`s Car Shouldn`t Work But it Does:

I grew up on the border of car culture. I can identify almost every car made before the year 1957. My father restored antique cars professionally, owned a garage and a 1921 Maxwell for most of my life and was the crew chief for a Corvette racing team in the early 60`s. I understand the love affair that Americans have with cars. But I also remember Jerry Van Dyke in My Mother the Car and Martin Milner in Route 66 and I understand a little bite about story and this one shouldn`t work, couldn't work, but does.

The concept for Pixar`s mega-hit Cars as a strainded and awkward blending of Route 66 and My Mother the Car really should never ever in amillion years work which may be the reason this 2 week $117,055,283 home run is so impressive a feat of master storytelling.

John Lasseter tackling this bazaar awkward humanized car culture movie is like the African barefoot runner who won the Olympic marathon with a broken foot, completely unbelievable! It is an amazing feat of storytelling. And a real love letter to Route 66 and the car culture of times past. There is no way it should have worked but it does, completely. And that shows just how good the guys and gals in Emeryville are. Go see it.  ¶ 10:36 AM

  The Dark Ages of Animation:

When I was at the mall last Friday I stopped by SunCoast Video (which is going out of business at Laguna Hills) and picked up King Kong the Animated Series Volume 2 for $3 and change.

One of the episodes on this disk had a prominent place in last year`s Worst Cartoons Ever screening that Jerry Beck put on at San Diego Comic Con.

As deserving as this 1966 Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass produced, Toei Studio animated gem is of a place of honor in Jerry`s screening the bonus material, Tom of T.H.U.M.B. out does it grown for grown. No wonder we kids that grown up on this Saturday morning fare dropped out and turned on.

So why were all of the Saturday morning animations of this time period so banal? It is not that there weren`t talented animators working at the time. Hell, all of the animators that could hold a job during the dark ages had real talent or they wouldn`t have gotten the few jobs available. It wasn`t that all the top storymen were dead and gone. Their where around just nobody would buy their good ideas. It wasn`t the lack of good producers, Rankin and Bass have done some classic stop motion that I truly love.

It was the times, it was what the sponsors wanted, it was the pressure of the market place. It was the bad taste of the age. But the sponsors don`t get the stigma, it is laid on the victims of their bad taste.

How sad to be a master animator in the bad years between 1955 to 1975. Remember, Chuck Jones had to pitch Grinch 26 times before he could get the money to make his Christmas masterpiece.

Enough of that, here are screen grabs of these Saturday morning gems.

  ¶ 8:03 AM

  Archive: Grim Natwick's Mariutch Today, we continued our project of digitizing the Fleischer Bouncing Ball cartoons. The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Blog has one of them available for viewing... "Mariutch" (1930).



This was one of the first Fleischer cartoons that the legendary animator, Grim Natwick worked on, and it includes many of his trademarks... pretty girls, experimental timing and amazing drawings.

Check it out...
Filmography: Mariutch (1930)

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 4:51 PM

  BEFORE WALT TODAY:

A lecture & Screening with animation historian RAY POINTER.

In commemoration of the Centennial of American Animation, ASIFA-Hollywood proudly presents BEFORE WALT, a documentary showcase produced and narrated by Ray Pointer.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of animated cartoons. While the concept is as old as time, the most important advancements were made in the United States during the 20th Century. And without question, the three most important figures of this period were Winsor McCay, Max Fleischer, and Walt Disney. This one hour program will follow the development of animated cartoons from the earliest concepts to the many milestones that influenced Disney in his formative years.

Special bonus material - not on DVD anywhere - will be screened. Don't miss this rare showing of vintage animation.

Saturday June 17th, 2006 - 3:00pm
American Film Institute
Steven Ross Screening Room (Warner Bros. Building)
2021 N. Western Ave..
Hollywood, CA

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD members admitted FREE • Non-Members Admission: $10.00  ¶ 6:51 AM

  Braving Lawyers at the Local Mall:

Sometimes it amazes me just how stupid some artist (sic) are about copyright. They all get real upset at the idea of anybody ripping off their artwork but think nothing of using other people`s images.

Who are you? You`re not going to get me in trouble are you? She said trying to hide behind her newspaper so I couldn`t take her picture. I had been snapping pictures of some very badly copies of Disney characters painted onto Beanie Babies with no Disney copyright notice anywhere in sight. Infringements?



I was in the Laguna Hills Mall today. Just 3 stores down from the Disney Store at one of those table setups malls like to rent out in the middle of foot traffic to increase their profit margin. Kind of like a convention booth only setup right in the middle of the Mall.



Okay, artists don`t have a left brain and often don`t think about who owns the image they are painting but doesn`t the management of this Mall have a lawyer that knows anything about trademark and copyright and the liability they have thrown themselves open to by renting space to this lady and her blatant copyright infringements? And what about the people in the Disney story? Why aren`t they saying something about this?



Do I feel bad about ratting her out on the internet? No, the artwork was velvet painting bad. And if she has enough business sense to rent a space in the mall then she should have enough sense to know about copyright law. Maybe she does because she did try to cover her face with a newspaper.


  ¶ 7:22 PM

 

Just got an email from Tom Sito in Taipei were he is directing an animation for a museum. Not sure just what.

FYI,

My book DRAWING THE LINE just got listed on Amazon.com for preorders. Interesting, because I am still writing the index. It's much cheaper there than the catalog price. Check it out.

Tom S

I talked to Pat Sito last night and she said she is working on the index. I don`t care who is really writing the index, I just want this book to be out. I have waited for this book for about 3 years. Talk to him about it every chance I got/get. Had him talk to my students about the strikes. I`m ordering mine and then I`m putting together a book signing somewhere so that I can get Tom to autograph my copy.  ¶ 9:18 AM

  Dream On San Diego:

Just on the phone with Dan Lund of Dream on Silly Dreamer. Dan and Tony West are doing a screening and panel of Dreamer at San Diego Comic Con this year. I love this documentary. It is an important record of a pivotal time that seems (thank gods) to be behind us now.

I will give you more details on who is on the panel later but the big news is that Jacki Sanchez, who pretty much comes across as an out-spoken star of Dream On is flying in for the panel. This is so cool. I have wanted to meet Jacki since I first saw this amazing film.

Thursday July 20th 7:00 - 8:30 pm Dream on Silly Dreamer - Room 6B

Don`t miss this one.



Here I am with Dan Lund (center) and Tony West (right) at the 33 Annual Annie Awards were they received a Certificate of Merit for their documentary Dream On Silly Dreamer  ¶ 12:44 PM

  Archive: Willard Mullin on Animals A couple of months ago, we posted a section from the Famous Artists Cartooning Course... Chad's Design For Television. Today, we have a FA lesson on drawing animals by newspaper cartoonist, Willard Mullin.



Willard Mullin was a variety of cartoonist that doesn't exist any more... a sports page cartoonist. In the days before high speed film and well lit night games, newspapers relied on cartoonists to illustrate the sports stories that photographers were unable to shoot. They did this by caricaturing the players and team mascots to represent who was on top and who was in the doghouse.

Mullin was not only the greatest sports cartoonist of his day, he was also one of the most talented artists ever to work in newspaper comics. When it came to drawing animals, he was unmatched.

As a bonus, we've posted scans of a rare Mullin original depicting the 1935 Kentucky Derby. This comic hasn't been seen since it was originally published over 70 years ago!

Media: Willard Mullin on Animals

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 11:47 AM

 

Porky Gives ASIFA Discount:

This came in last week while I was snowed under with deadlines. It is from the voice of Porky, Bob Bergen. He is giving another Voice Over Workshop Cruise. And he is giving ASIFA-Hollywood a discount on his workshop. I`ll let him tell you all about it.

Hey-my 2006 VO cruise was such a hit I've decided to do another one in April, 2007. I'm promoting now because the ship needs to reserve cabins way in advance. Prices and cabin availability are subject to change after August 16, 2006.

Here's the scoop on my next one: bobbergen.com/voiceovercruise.htm

In addition to my animation VO workshop, this excursion will also include commercial workshops with Leigh Gilbert and promo workshops with Joyce Castellanos. This is a 5 night cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with stops in San Francisco and Victoria, BC. We only have 60 cabins held!

Cabin prices start at $359.00, plus taxes and return airfare.

For information and bookings contact:
Susan Helfrich at
Cruise Events LLC (800) 695-6664
Email: Susan@CruiseEvents.net

$500.00 additional fee for those attending workshops and seminars due before Dec. 1, 2006. Make checks payable/send to:

Bob Bergen, 19528 Ventura Blvd., #148 Tarzana, Ca. 91356.

For questions or payment info email Bob at: Bob@BobBergen.com

One more thing!!! I'll give ASIFA members 10% off the workshop! (this is good only for the workshops, not the cruise itself!) Make sure when people book with me they mention they are ASIFA members!

Best!
BB

  ¶ 8:53 AM

  The Comic Con Times They are a Changed:

As San Diego Comic Con International shifts more toward a Hollywood studios event the nature on the programming changes to reflect that shift.

Use to be there was room for small odd ball events that had a solid but very not wide base. I understand the change. It is just like the movie business. Non Blockbusters need not apply. You can mourn the lose of the small funky screening but you have to get with the times.

I lost about 5 screening and or presentations this year, including my Silent Animation Screening. I can cry about it but it is not the fault of comic con. It is not even the fault of the big studios. It is the pressure of the market place. Too many programs not enough room survival of the fittest.

Below is a list of the programming that made it on the schedule this year.

ASIFA Comic Con Programming For 2006:

Thursday July 20th

11:00am-12:30pm Voice Actor Tryouts room 4

3:30-5:00pm ANIMATION ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET Room 3

7:00-8:30pm DREAM ON SILLY DREAMER ROOM 6B

Friday July 21st

WORST CARTOONS EVER 9:00-10:00pm ROOM 6CDEF

Saturday July 22nd

12:00-1:00pm STATE OF THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY Room 4

Sunday July 23rd

2:30-4:30 Treasures from the ASIFA Archives  ¶ 5:26 PM

  June 21st: Rik Maki Scribbling on Scrap Van Eaton Galleries and Creative Talent Network are hosting a gallery event featuring the work of artist, Rik Maki on June 21st. ASIFA-Hollywood members are welcome. For more information, see the Scribbling on Scrap Calendar Entry.  ¶ 8:58 PM

 





Saturday Cel Sort  ¶ 6:10 PM

  So busy that I haven`t had time to tell you how busy I am.



New comic con schedule



Booth Banner in progress

1938 Mexican Cinacolor The Bees at the lab, things are looking up on other preservation projects

2 tests to write this weekend and a class database to rebuild

Cel Sort Today 1 PM at Archives  ¶ 7:41 AM

  ASIFA Cel Sort Saturday:

The annual per Comic Con Cel Sort is this Saturday (how did you like my alliteration on the title)

Saturday June 10th
starting at 1 PM and running until whenever
ASIFA Animation Center / Archive
2114 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank

If you are a comic con volunteer you need to be here for this event. We will be getting our merchandise ready for comic con. If you want to be an ASIFA comic con volunteer. This is a good place to start.

Hope to see you all there  ¶ 7:39 AM

  Cereal Killer:

Cereal boxes use to be fun, premiums, prizes and puzzles and lots of creative thought from people at the ad agencies. Somehow we have lost all that in these modern times. Maybe that is one of the reasons that kids grow up too quickly.

I know that client complains of high prices took the fun out of the cereal isle but you don`t have to spend money if you spend brain power.

Okay, in the 50`s printing something on the box was looked at as a cheapskate cop-out but we would have given high points to this door hanger for the economy creativity and in your face boldness.

High points to Disney Marketing. And yes it take a long time to finish a box of cereal.

  ¶ 9:21 AM

  Member`s Screening:

For all the people who would like to see it a second or thrid time and the the three or four people who have not seen it already, Fox is holding a screening of Ice Age 2 the Meltdown.

Sunday, June 11th
3 PM
Harmony Gold
7655 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles
RSVP 310-369-7770

The Director and Producer will be on hand for Q&A and Fox is springing for a reception (and they do these things up right).

  ¶ 6:44 AM

  Have not been on these pages for a little bit. San Diego Comic Con stuff has kept me hopping. Major addition to the schedule page at the Comic Con web pages. ASIFA@Comic Con

We are still looking for booth workers, video crew members and artists. Click on the blog link at the right of the page for up to the minute ASIFA comic con news.

  ¶ 9:09 AM

  Archive: Jim Tyer Comic Books Today, we added some amazing funny animal comics by the legendary Jim Tyer to our collection...



Media: Jim Tyer Comic Books

You won't want to miss them!

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive
www.animationarchive.org  ¶ 9:06 PM