I love “Wreck-it Ralph,” one of the greatest films this year, and the best Disney animation since "Tangled."  For some adults, this film may bring back some childhood nostalgia from playing arcade games, but not so much that it clouds out the storyline.  The filmmakers have transformed lots of familiar 8-bit video game characters into fascinating personalities in a whole new way.  Disney must have broken the bank, in gaining access to all these iconic legends of the 8-bit world, such as Sonic and Pacman.  Just thinking about it makes my head spin…

I begin to suspect that this is like trying to write the perfect pre-nuptial, and wonder that perhaps it can’t be done!  I chew on this for a bit before I start to realize that the problem that is stymieing me, needs to be included in the definition.   After all, if art can’t be clearly defined wouldn’t that need to be part of its definition?  I also thought of what Elbert Hubard said, “Art is not a thing, it is a way.”

 

The ACE event is held annually and is sponsored by the Gwangju Metropolitan City. It consists of an International Forum, Licensing Plaza and a showcase for cultural content.  It’s an exhibition for all types of cultural content providers from all over the world. There’s Biz Matching, Screenings, and Conferences.

That’s the official line! 

Here’s the unofficial line………………Gwangju ACE Fair was developed to tap into the vast amount of animation business that’s flowing into China and, to a lesser extent, flowing into Seoul, South Korea. They want a piece of the Asian animation pie. The ACE Fair is expected to generate agreements between foreign studios and Korean studios, MOU’s (memos of understanding), and actual contracts. 

By Tim Kridel

More than half of app users have uninstalled or decided to not install an app due to concerns about personal information, according to a recent Pew Internet Project survey. If that isn’t motivation enough to protect customer privacy, consider the growing number of federal and state laws penalizing breaches.

But how can developers determine which laws apply? And what about industry best practices such as those from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and CTIA – The Wireless Association? We spoke with Alan Chapell, co-chair of the MMA’s privacy and advocacy committee, about what developers need to know to protect customer privacy -- and, in the process, their app’s market potential.

One of the most under valued skills during the interview process is the ability to LISTEN!  This applies whether you are the job seeker or the interviewer for that matter.  What is that?  Yeah, I said it, “Listen Up!”  Talking, multi-tasking, distractions, or moving too fast forces you to derail quicker than any express train traveling through downtown.  The more you listen the more you learn.  When you listen you do so for non-verbal queues as well.  While some of you are natural listeners, other folks may need to be interrupted, or physically gagged in order to get a word in.  Which one are you?

 

The Jilin Animation Institute is an incredible undertaking. It’s now celebrating over ten years of operation.  The student base is over 10,500.  That’s NOT a typo.  10,500 students….the largest animation student enrollment in the world!  To support these students is a staff of 1,400 instructors, teachers, technicians and artists including a smattering of foreign nationals.  The institute is in the process of expanding its campus to accommodate up to 20,000 students within the next few years.

 

 

 

 

 

My book, HOW TO WRITE FOR ANIMATION, has just been released for the Kindle and other eBook formats. Read what Jeffrey Katzenberg, Stan Lee and others have to say about it . . .

It’s Friday, October 12 and the Javits Center is beginning to burst at the seams. Banes abound, Lokis lurk and there are Doctors by the dozens. David Tennants and Matt Smiths predominate, although a Peter Davison Doctor shows up at Peter Davison’s session. Speaking of which, You Can’t Make this Stuff Up Department: Davison’s daughter Georgia is married to Tennant; they met when she played the title role in the Dr. Who episode… “The Doctor’s Daughter.” (Yeah, I can’t believe it either but it’s true.)

The artist looks for ways to demonstrate that all people in the world are fundamentally the same. The politician looks for ways to show that one group of people is superior to another.