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MUTILATOR!

By Eric Fogel | Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 10:56pm

Growing up, I was a latch key kid, often coming home to an empty house after school. My babysitters’ names were Popeye, Tom, Jerry, Bugs and Daffy. I was literally raised on those old school cartoons with their over the top slapstick violence and impeccable timing.They would leave an indelible mark on me.

Film Blogs

Perry’s Previews Movie Review and Filmmaker Interview: 'ParaNorman'

By Perry Chen | Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 10:13pm

I really enjoyed this film, and can relate to Norman because I have been bullied before, like most people, for being different. The film is very emotional and about proving one’s inner power. I am really impressed by how the animators created the film out of stop motion! I marveled at the intricate metal skeleton design of the assembly for the puppets used for the making of the film.

Screenwriting Blogs

THE IMPORTANCE OF THEME IN SCREENWRITING

Theme is the most important element of any screenplay. It aligns and focuses the plot, subplots, characters and dialogue. It is the Rosetta stone which allows you to translate that great concept you have into a great screenplay. But that’s not all it does...

Blogs

Is Windows Phone Worth It?

By Dan Sarto | Monday, August 6, 2012 at 5:24pm

FourBros Studio created a buzz about its success with Windows Phone 7, telling about ad impressions and real dollars generated. I recently spoke with Nathan Furtwangler, FourBros Studio member and developer, about what other developers can learn from their team and how their strategies might be applied to Windows Phone 8.

Blogs

Tune It Up: Developing Music Apps

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at 5:16pm

Mobile apps for tuning a variety of musical instruments are readily available, but a recently demonstrated iPad app expands the musician-helper category beyond those basic tools. The software, dubbed Celeste, helps configure pipe organs and was among the featured apps at the University of Utah’s Mobile Application Demo Day.

Blogs

JOHN K. TELLS US HIS FAMILY HISTORY in "Cans Without Labels"

Everyone knows John Kricfalusi, or John K as he is better known, the creator of the legendary Ren and Stimpy Show.  After a string of commercial works John has begun a very personal animation project and you can be part of it.

The ever generous John K. is not just taking.  For a pledge of $1.00 or more you will receive a DRM free digital copy of Cans Without Labels sent to you with John K.’s gratitude.  There are more fabulous rewards for your generosity moving up the scale at about $5.00 increments all the way up to a $10,000 pledge level.  For a donation of $10,000 you will receive a personal caricature done by John K. and he will “animate your ass” into Cans Without Labels!  You will also receive an esteemed Executive Producer credit along with a DVD of the film.  As a special gift you will receive a can without a label with your credit on it personally signed by John K.  SUCH A DEAL!!!!

Ideation Blogs

Crash Landing – Encounter with Reality Part 2

And so it seems that humanity is loosing appreciation and benefits of simple and pure nothingness, of silence and calm, which come with not being under pressure to talk, to respond, to converse, react, but instead to think and feel, digest and reflect. Why?

Blogs

The Battle For Celebrity Deathmatch, Part 1

In the case of Celebrity Deathmatch, I knew I had a solid concept – two celebrities with a score to settle face off in a clay animated wrestling ring…and fight to the death! The pitch could not have been any simpler and yet it had all of the components of great entertainment – pop culture, biting satire, cartoony violence and an animation style that was beloved but seldom seen. And yet it would take MTV over a year to greenlight a pilot!

Blogs

ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2012 - 4 through 9 June 2012, Annecy, France

I always approach Annecy with mixed feelings.  On the one hand it is an opportunity to see so many dear old friends from all over the world, along with special programs that won’t screen at any other festival, but over the past few years it has become very commercial and shifted the emphasis away from short, independent animation to feature films.  With over 7,000 people attending the festival it has become harder and harder for people to get tickets to screenings that they want to see, and if you don’t book a room very early you could end up staying miles from the festival. This year, in spite of many potential difficulties, I did enjoy myself.

The big news of the week wasn’t about film per se, but was Serge Bromberg’s closing night announcement that after 14 years as Festival Artistic Director he is passing the artistic baton to Marcel Jean.  Serge wants to concentrate his efforts on his production company, Lobster Films which finds and restoring classic films such as his recent efforts in restoring missing footage to George Milies’ 1902 film A Trip to the Moon.  He did say that he “would see us all next year because I already have my ticket to the 2013 festival”.

Blogs

GRIMM ANIMATED SHORT FILM COMPETITION - THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The Goethe-Institut Italy is launching a contest for animated short films in occasion of the 200 anniversary of the Children and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm.
Are you a young animator and do you want to accept the challenge to explore Grimms classics innovatively and transport them into today's reality creating animated short films with a maximum length of 5 minutes?
Deadline of submission: August 24, 2012
First Prize: 1500 € audience award for each an Italian and German short
For more information and participation please consult the website:
community.goethe.de/grimmland.
The first videos have already been submitted and can be viewed or commented on our website!

Screenwriting Blogs

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR FEATURE OUTLINE IS DONE?

I recently went to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and looked at dozens of pencil drawings by Gustav Klimt. Surprisingly, I made an interesting mental connection with screenplay outlines: A pencil drawing visualizing what is going to be painted is to an oil what a screenplay is to a film.

Production Blogs

Wait, Weight? Don’t Tell Me, I Can’t Be…

By IACG | Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 3:22pm

I’m in the UK having recently returned from attending the Cannes Film Festival, followed shortly thereafter by the Annecy International Animation Festival. These two events, both in France, separated by just a few days, are the premiere festivals in the international calendar for live action and animation respectively.

Blogs

Announcing the Festival of European Student Animation - Belgrade, Serbia

This is a new student festival under the direction of animator and Renaissance man extraordinaire Rastok Ciric.  If he is involved I know that the festival will be well run.  Only European Student Films will be accepted for the competition but student films from other countries can be submitted for non-competition screenings at the festival.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Initiated by the Public Enterprise “Belgrade Fortress”, FESA – Festival of European Student Animation, was established in 2012 under the auspices of Serbian Ministry for Culture.
The main goal of the festival is to promote the art of animation from the European countries and to create conditions that will enable the younger generation to conquer new concepts and new technologies.
The Festival of European Student Animation is going to be held in the period of September 1th to 2nd 2012.
The Festival is comprised of Students Competition programs (film schools and single student authors)
This year’s competition theme is THE RITUAL in the widest sense of the terms.
ADMISSION CONDITIONS
Only animated films / works of European production not longer than 30 minutes will be accepted (using classical »frame by frame« or computer animation techniques or combining live action and animation (Animation being primary media).
Works completed in this Millenium will be considered eligible for this year’s festival.
Works coming from Non European Countries cannot be accepted for competition, but can be screened at the festival
if chosen by the Pre-Selection Committee.
One author can submit more than one film according to festival rules.
There is no entry fee.
ENTRIES AND REGISTRATION
For Pre-Selection films must be sent in MP4, AVI or MOV format.
The ENTRY FORM – please download from the festival website:
http://www.beogradskatvrdjava.co.rs/FESA-2012_3737-80_1983
They should be sent to – fesa2012@gmail.com
The Entry Form must be sent together with:
- digital copy of the film for Pre-Selection,
- two or more stills from the film (6 cm width, 300 dpi),
- film synopsis (maximum 500 characters)
- photo of the author,
- brief biography of the author and filmography.

Film Blogs

The Head Is Born

The beautiful thing about inspiration is that you never know when it’s going to hit. Case in point – it’s 1989 and I’m working in the equipment checkout room at NYU’s Tisch School of The Arts. The room is where student filmmakers go to borrow the cameras, lights and all the grip stands they’ll need to make their films.

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