Haha... I've totally fallen behind on my blogging duties, as I predicted I would. Class 3 just started today, and I realize that I haven't posted since halfway through the previous semester! Well, I'm working on my progress reel, so I'll have that up soon. Besides that? Ummm... Well, I'll try to keep up this semester. ;)
Jan 4, 2010
Nov 12, 2009
Uta Hagen
I've recently been watching Uta Hagen's Acting Class videos on YouTube... I'm learning a lot and finding them very inspirational.
Here's part one:
Here's part one:
Oct 18, 2009
Oct 9, 2009
Sep 29, 2009
Cracking Toast, Gromit!
The year was 1989, long before YouTube, cartoon-only channels on TV, and mail-order DVD rental services (or DVDs, for that matter). My friends and I would make the annual drive down to La Jolla, CA to catch a screening of Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. There, we were exposed to animation that we couldn't have seen anywhere else. It was my favorite time of year. With each festival, the quality of the animation improved markedly (I'd been going down to the show since 1986). My favorites were always the stop motion animated shorts, as I'd dabbled in stop motion myself as a renegade 12-year-old with a video camera. It seemed like the kind of animation I could make.
Having recently seen (and being blown away by) Nick Park's Creature Comforts, I couldn't wait to see his new short, "A Grand Day Out." I had no idea what to expect, except that it had something to do with a rocketship (oh, how I love rocketships)! "A Grand Day Out" turned out to be amazing, and changed everything! This was different than the normal Spike and Mike faire... This was 20 minutes long! It had drama, character, appeal, an alien robot, and a rocketship! The bar had been raised. "A Grand Day Out" featured to two very quirky cheese-obsessed English characters, that couldn't help but become stars: Wallace and Gromit.
Today, apparently, is Wallace and Gromit's 20th birthday. So, raise your glasses high and help me make a toast!
To Aardman, Nick Park, Wallace and Gromit: Thanks for the adventures, the comedy, the memories, and the cheese! Cheers!
To celebrate, I might just have to order the 20th Anniversary book...
Walt Disney Family Museum
Opening October 1st, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco's Presidio is a MUST EXPERIENCE for any student, fan, historian, or practitioner of animation! I got to see the museum during one of the previews, and it was one of the most inspirational hours-and-a-half of my life (that's all the time we had before it closed). I'm considering purchasing an annual membership so I can go back again and again to tap into that huge wealth of inspiration whenever I want to. If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd recommend making plans and reserving your tickets... no time would be too soon to check it out!
The Museum spans the entire course of Walts life; literally from his cradle to his grave, and focuses on his achievements, personal life, and his legacy. They've got the first known drawing of Mickey Mouse by Ub Iwerks, correspondance of Walt urging "Rudy" Ising to join his studio in Southern California, letters of discontent from Disney about Charles Mintz, interactive jumbo digital moviola simulatorm (with pencil test footage from Snow White in it), tons of artwork (some of my favorites are from the Nine Old Men, Blair and Earle), cells, Disney toys, Walt's trains, and a very large and impressive model of "The Disneyland of Walt's Dreams." The walls throughout the entire museum are filled with display panels showing both behind the scenes looks at the production process, and the product of those countless hours of production. This is not a passive museum!
They've also got a theater and are planning screening events, lectures, and seminars throughout the year, so keep your eye on their website for updates!
Here's a glimpse inside:
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