Don Hahn is just one of the top

animation pros I ran into.

written by Bill Desowitz

The second day of CTN Expo was overflowing with interest for the informative panels, some of which I couldn't even get into, so I perused the exhibition floor and walked the lobby, making new friends and running into old ones.

For instance, I met Ken Duncan and his colleagues at Duncan Studio, who most recently did the marvelous 2D work on the How to Train Your Dragon Blu-ray/DVD short, Legend of the BoneKnapper Dragon. They told me that they've done breakthrough work on integrating 2D into Maya and are working on making it available to the industry at large in the near future. More on that, to be sure.

I ran into Don Hahn, who mentioned that Tim Burton's Frankenweenie stop-motion feature was progressing well in London (early days so not much to say about the adaptation of the director's popular short other than that it will be in black-and-white and 3-D). Hahn was also pleased about the holiday DVD release of his acclaimed Waking Sleeping Beauty doc from Disney Home Ent. Hahn said that there were some nice bonus features, including deleted scenes.

Then I ran into Chris Wedge, who flew in from New York early that morning for a Q&A later that evening with Bill Kroyer. While Wedge played it close to the vest about his latest, The Legend of the Leaf Men, he positively beamed about Carlos Saldanha's Rio, which Fox releases next year on April 8. He said the animation is nearly complete for this Brazilian feast about two mismatched birds that fall in love (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway) and that the test screenings have been going well. Wedge also said that they've already outgrown their new studio in New York, but that it's great walking to work every day as opposed to the previous commute.

Picture of the Don't Take Pictures screen before the Dead But Not Buried screening.

By Dan Sarto

I know it must be Ottawa Animation Festival time because it’s been roughly a year since my last verbal manhandling by an airport customs agent. Happy Anniversary! I seem to be a magnet for every disaffected flak vested agent looking to brush up on their 12-step time mismanagement drill.  My path through customs at the Ottawa airport was no different this year.  It must be my Vans.  The checkerboard pattern is on some secret watch list.  Or, maybe it’s because I’m Jewish.  Despite my feeble compliance, I couldn’t help but wonder if, sans sidearm, multiple 13 round clips, taser, pepper spray and truncheon, this fellow dissecting my passport was any match for me.  Yah, my ego whispered, I could take him.  If I wanted to.  But I don’t want to.  Lucky for him. And so starts my 2011 visit to Ottawa.

Asian Television Forum opening ceremony

by Catherine Branscome-Morrissey

If you’re from South East Asia, China, Japan or Korea, Singapore’s modern architectural skylines may not wow you as much as a Westerner.  And I imagine, if you are from the region, the proliferation and impact of Asia’s animation production isn’t news to you either.  After all, Asia’s “animation moon” has been full and shining brightly for many years, decades even for some countries.

Image ©2012 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

The VIEW Conference has announced the European premiere of Pixar Animation Studios’ latest short film, Partysaurus Rex, to be presented by award-winning director, animator, actor, storyboard artist and writer Mark Walsh.

Walsh graduated from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 1997, winning a Student Emmy for his animated short film, Extra Crispy. At Pixar, Mark became part of a group of fellow actors and stuntmen, animating on such films as A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., the animated short Presto, and the Academy Award-winning feature The Incredibles.

By Nancy Phelps

Devoted solely to student work, the festival is the brainchild of well known animator, illustrator, and renaissance man Rastko Ćirić in conjunction with Vuk Maksimovic, master wood carver and furniture maker, who is the representative of the Fortress for this project.  It also received support from the Serbian Ministry of Culture.

FMX opens at the Haus der Wirtschaft Center of Commerce.

Here we go again! It's May again, so time to travel to Stuttgart, Germany to meet, to listen, to open the eyes and the minds, to feel the sense of wonder, the pulse of the future and to be amazed by the achievements of the many professionals, as well as those of the bold young students, who present their work. For the 15^th time the Conference on Animation, Effects, Games & Interactive Media starts today and — business as usual — this year's program let your mouth drool, if you are a big fan of those wondrous worlds.

Fifteen editions ago, in 1994, the small and tiny “Film and Medienbörse Stuttgart” was held for the very first time – Prof. Thomas Haegele and his team decided to translate the German term into English and the “Film and Media eXchange” in short FMX was born.

H5's Logorama.

Every year I think Chris Robinson can't take it any higher. But every year he ramps it up a notch.

This guy is the master of the post-modern introduction.

You had to be there to feel the bizarre energy, to share in the intense, quizzical, weird couple of moments.

Then we were back to reality.

Nancy on the animation couch.

By Nancy Denney-Phelps

The Fredrikstad Animation Festival in Fredrikstad, Norway has an emphasis on screening Nordic animation but offers so much more. Along with Nordic short film and student competitions and screenings of animation aimed at the family audience, two days were devoted to seminars with international guest speakers from all branches of the animation world.

Anyone who is lucky enough to be invited to this wonderful festival should not miss the opportunity. Not only will you have the good fortune to see the best in Nordic/Baltic animation but you will also meet many wonderful people and return home with very special memories.

A fine display of design and carving skills. The rest are posers. Except the guy with the pumpkin speedo.

By Dan Sarto

The Animator’s Picnic is inspired event programming – stop all proceedings, go to a park, eat, drink, see and be seen.  Find old friends, meet new friends.  On this unseasonably beautiful Autumn day, as I gaze out on the crowd of young animators, the future of our industry, I can’t help but think…I feel so old. Nothing like a large gathering of energetic young hipsters, free from the burdens of metabolic decline and hearing loss, to remind you just what a sorry-ass geez you are.  The crowd gets younger, the walk to the Bytowne Cinema gets longer and no amount of Advil or Scotch can change that.  Sometimes I wonder, if I start talking to a young female animation student, am I perceived as someone who has something useful to say, or just a perve?  Can one be both?

Check out a selection of pictures from this year’s picnic and pumpkin carving contest…

John Kricfalusi at the drawing table.

By Nancy Phelps

For five days every year the historic town of Fredrikstad, Norway becomes the center of Nordic/Baltic animation.  The festival brings in an illustrious roster of names from the international animation community and this year was no exception.

I am a fan of Ren and Stimpy but had never met John Kricfalusi.  He turned out to be as delightfully wacky and fun as his characters.  During his Masters of Animation presentation he talked about characters and films that inspired him and he showed animation classics from UPA and Disney among others to illustrate his points.  He also shared excerpts from his favorite live action Hollywood films which he considers just as good, if not a better inspiration for cartoonists as classic cartoons.  I was fascinated to learn what a big influence film noir played in his life.