On November 18^th 2011, my mom and I went to the Creative Talents Network (CTN) Animation Expo. It was the third year for this event, although it was the first time for me. When we arrived at the entrance of the Burbank Convention Center where this event was held, we were enthusiastically greeted by Dan Sarto, the Publisher of Animation World Network (AWN) where I am an expert blogger on animation films and events. He told my mom earlier that he really enjoyed CTN Expo which focused on the artists, and it’s a lot easier to meet people than at a huge event like the Comic-Con.

Perry Chen at Rise of the Guardians Press Screening (photo by Zhu Shen)

“Rise of the Guardians” is a great film, full of rich, colorful, and well-developed characters. Santa, or “North”, as he is called in the film, compared his personality to that of a Russian Nesting Doll. He is a tough and fierce warrior on the outside, but inside, he has a heart of childlike wonder. Bunny is calm and proud, although annoyed by North boasting how Christmas is more important than Easter. Tooth, the tooth fairy, is an energetic and excitable character, constantly hovering in the air. Sandy, the mute Guardian of Dreams is calm, but can be very fierce and strong when he has to. Finally, we have Jack Frost, a smart, mischievous, fun-loving spirit who can control the weather and snow, but has yet to learn about his purpose and responsibilities in life.

Amazing Kids! ® (www.amazing-kids.org) and Perry’s Previews ^TM (www.perryspreviews.com) announced that entries are now being accepted for their first-ever “Amazing Kids!’ Perrific Oscar^® Picks!” Contest. Amazing Kids! and Perry’s Previews are challenging kids and teens worldwide, ages 6-17, to predict the Oscar^® winner for Best Animated Feature of 2010 for the upcoming 83^rd Academy Awards® and make their voice heard.  Contestants are asked to name which of the top 3 Oscar^®-nominated feature animation films, How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation), Toy Story 3 (Disney/Pixar), and The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics), they predict will win at the Academy Awards ceremony on February 27, 2011.  Contestants have the option of submitting the reason for their pick in 50 words or less on the contest site. 

Have you ever looked at a total stranger and imagined what it would be like to spend a life with that person? That is the story first-time Disney director John Kahrs is trying to tell through his delightful short film, “Paperman,” which plays before the “Wreck-it Ralph” feature that opened on November 2, 2012.

2013 Oscar-nominated Animation Shorts

2012 was an amazing year for animation short films. This year’s Oscar nominees share one thing in common: they are all silent films, each demonstrating the power of pure storytelling with only visuals and music! The nominees are: “Paperman”,  “Fresh Guacamole”, “Maggie Simpson in the Longest Daycare,” “Head over Heels,” and “Adam and Dog.”

4 Starfish out of 5.

Have you ever lost something or someone that you care deeply about? Victor Frankenstein, a quiet, thin, and clever young inventor has only one true friend – his beloved dog, Sparky. Together, Victor and Sparky have many adventures, such as making a movie together, building inventions in Victor’s secret lab in the attic, and playing fetch in the yard. Victor’s parents are a bit concerned for him, since he has no friends besides Sparky. But, Victor has no interest in befriending the children in his neighborhood. The kids there are Edgar, a nosy hunchback who can never keep a secret, Nassor, a dark, skeptical, and competitive bully, and a weird, unnamed girl who never blinks and rambles on about omens of the future found in her cat’s excrement, among others.

4 Starfish out of 5.

“The Croods” is a film about creativity, and discovering curiosity. I enjoyed the opening sequence, where the entire family works together to get a hard-earned meal. It was interesting how they all cooperated to obtain an egg for their breakfast, and how little food they had at the time. The film is a great movie for kids, with a lot of wit and imagination. The movie is very humorous, especially in physical humor; such as when one of the Croods catches on fire and fights through dry grass. Another thing that was funny was that Grug was always hoping that his mother-in-law would die, probably because she was burdening the group. The visuals are stunning, such as the endless shades of green in the rainforest, and the color of the various creatures of the Crood’s universe.

Perry Chen with Karina Bessoudo, Toon Boom Animation's Vice President of Marketing at CTN (photo by Zhu Shen)

Toon Boom Animation Inc, a worldwide leader in digital content and animation creation software, sent a donation check to Perry S. Chen, a 13-year-old award-winning animator in 7th grade from San Diego, and his mother and producer Dr. Zhu Shen, becoming animation industry’s first corporate sponsor to Perry and Zhu’s new and most personal animation film “Changyou’s Journey,” about Dr. Changyou Chen, Perry’s father, a biotech CEO and cancer drug researcher, who lost his brave fight against metastatic skin cancer in 2012 at the age of 49.  Perry and Zhu received Toon Boom’s donation on the date of what would have been Changyou’s 50th birthday.