Write Your Way Into Animation and Games (edited by Christy Marx): panel discussion and signing to celebrate the publication of this new Focal Press book. Terry Borst, Carolyn Handler Miller and Jean Ann Wright, all contributing authors of the book, will discuss writing for games, animation, webisodes and other forms of new media. Susan Spohr, author of Guide to Postproduction in TV and Film, moderates. Santa Monica Barnes & Noble at the Third Street Promenade.

Cartoons on the Bay and the Pulcinella Awards will take place in Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino from April 15-18, 2010.

New aspects of the festival include a new cross-media and interactive animation categories and a free branded new business area to strengthen meetings among all the delegates.

Top 5 TV Pitch Secrets Webinar
Tuesday, March 30, 9:00 p.m. EST, 6:00 p.m. PST 

Location: Login or Dial in
Register online at:
 http://www.pitchtvlikeapro.com/tele-20-5-pitch_tips.html 

Take advantage of our live internet streaming and avoid long 
distance and overseas phone charges. 

We'll Cover What You Want to Know:   

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professionals-only game industry event. Presented every spring in San Francisco, it is the essential forum for learning, inspiration, and networking for the creators of computer, console, handheld, mobile, and online games.

The GDC attracts over 17,000 attendees, and is the primary forum where programmers,artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and others involved in the development of interactive games gather to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry. The GDC is produced by the Think Services Game Group, a division of United Business Media.

This market defining conference features over 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions on a comprehensive selection of game development topics taught by leading industry experts. In addition, the GDC expo showcases all of the most relevant game development tools, platforms and services helping to drive the industry forward. The conference also features the twelfth annual Independent Games Festival, where new, unpublished games compete for the attention of the publishing community, and the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for peer-recognition in the digital games industry.

The Academy’s 2nd annual Animated Feature Symposium celebrates the work of the 2009 Oscar nominees in the Animated Feature Film category. In an evening of film clips and discussion, the nominees will discuss their creative inspiration and techniques as well as their film’s remarkable road to the big screen (panelists subject to availability).

When:
Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. Theater doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where:
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Admission :
$5 general
$3 Academy members and students with a valid ID

TRICKY WOMEN 2010 – International Animation Film Festival
March, 4th – 8th


Tricky Women is the first and only festival of animated film in Europe that is dedicated exclusively to animation by women. With its international competition, retrospectives, presentations by renowned film schools, its special programmes and its forum Connecting Animation, Tricky Women offers a unique, up-to-date overview of animated filmmaking around the world.
Since 2007 it has been held annually in Vienna each March.

The festival offers an international competition of animated short films realised by female artists and produced in 2008 or 2009. Each filmmaker, producer or distributor may submit as many films as they like. Each film submitted must be accompanied by an entry form and sent on a separate tape or reel. No films entered in prior Tricky Women Festivals shall be admitted.

The deadline for applications for the preliminary selection is October 30, 2009!!

Awards are presented in the following nominations:
• Tricky Women Award of the City of Vienna worth 4,000 Euro.
• 3-month scholarship in the artist-in-residence programme of quartier21/MQ.
• Synchro Film & Video Material Prize worth 1,500 Euro.
• Hubert Sielecki Award worth 500 Euro (for an Austrian animation).
• Audience Award.

EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN & DIGIBC PRESENT

NEWTON LEE AND KRYSTINA MADEJ: 
Disney Stories and Games – Making Technological Innovation a Reality

NUS Hollywood Lab co-founder, Newton Lee will speak on the process of creating some of his most successful projects, from his work as a software engineer at Media Station, which was contracted by Disney to develop their fist CD-ROM games in the early 1990s, to his work as a technical architect and senior producer at Disney for many successful online projects. He will also present the work he’s undertaken to develop a sustainable research environment where academia and business can collaborate: his work with ACM’s online Computers in Entertainment Magazine, the Hollywood Lab, the Institute for Education, Research and Scholarships, and other new technology initiatives.

Adjunct professor at SFU SIAT, Krystina Madej, will introduce Lee and speak on Disney’s innovative use of story in new media since the early 1900s.

Lee and Madej are currently collaborating on a book that presents Disney stories in new media.

DigiBC promotes, supports and accelerates the growth, competitiveness, and sustainability of BC's digital media and wireless industry

This event is free and open to the public.
When:    Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time:      Reception: 7pm / Presentation: 7:30pm
Where:    Motion Capture Studio, Room 285E
                Intersections Digital Studios, North Building
               1399 Johnston Street, Granville Island

For additional information visit http://www.ecuad.ca/about/events/24740

Mumbai, India: About 300 animation students will converge in Mumbai for the year’s biggest animation meet, the National Students Meet (NSM). Organised by Maya Academy of Advance Cinematics (MAAC), the pioneer of 3D animation and visual effects education in India, the 7th edition of NSM 2010 will see international studios like Dreamworks, Rhythm & Hues and other renowned studios like Prime Focus, Eye Qube, Prana showcase their animation work for popular movies like Aladin, Blue and Monster v/s Alien.

For the first time in India eminent international artist Ms. Shelley Page from Dreamworks, will share her knowledge on a unique and untouched topic ‘Design for Animation’ amongst the students. The National Students Meet is an distinctive initiative by MAAC to congregate the students studying 3D Animation & VFX on national level and take them for a week long journey where they are exposed to high-end seminars, workshops and case studies of Indian & International projects which includes making of Feature films, games, gaming technology, specialized workshops on various aspects of 3D Animation and Visual Effects industry, panel discussions, team building trainings, live contests, studio visits and various other edutainment activities.

Mr. Gaurav Markan, Industry Relations Vice President, MAAC expressed, "One of the main objectives of organizing such an event for the students is to give them exposure to the industry work and standards. An important aspect is that they come to know the about the changing requirements of the industry and learn how to shape themselves to be part of the industry. The important things that the studios these days look in a student or fresher are aptitude, creativity and confidence. The Outbound training is an aspect of the meet that takes care of all the elements to make the students a complete personality.”

About MAAC:

MAAC, the education division of Maya Entertainment Limited (MEL), is the pioneer of 3D animation and visual effects education in India since 2001. MAAC presently imparts professional training in animation and visual effects to over 14,000 students across 70 centers in India and International. MEL is backed by leaders in finance, media and technology, including Enam Securities, Intel Capital and Bhukhanwala Holdings. It has an exclusive association with The University of Cambridge International Examination, London to validate its diploma courses. MAAC also has the largest network of Authorized Training Centre (ATC’s) of Autodesk and WACOM Authorized Training Centers (WATC). The institute has pioneered animation training in the country and has also taken initiatives for the growth and development of the industry by promoting young talents through events like 24 FPS Animation Awards – an annual event conceptualized by MAAC that helps in seeking the finest talents in animation in the country. Its other divisions include an award winning international production studio engaged in outsourcing and own IP production work, and also a creative development enterprise MAAC Junior Toon Club (MJTC) for school children.

Event dedicated to animation and cross-media for industry professionals 2nd edition from 12th to 14th January 2011 - Le Grand Bornand / Annecy (France)

Presented by CITIA, organiser of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market (Mifa)

2 and a half days of information, training, reflection and discussions between professionals for a complete overview of all animation and cross-media issues.

Le Forum Blanc gives professionals from animation, video games, broadcasting, new interactive services and mobile phones the possibility to find out all the current aspects concerning animation and cross-media, from writing to broadcasting, funding, production and legal issues.

This second edition will be giving the floor to such speakers as Julien Borde, Head of Children and Youth programming at France Télévisions; Jo Twist, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4; Joël Ronez, Head of Internet at Arte and Orion Ross, Vice President of Development for Original series at Disney, who will be talking about the vision and the role the historic model of broadcasting is playing in the developments of cross and transmedia.

Miles Bullough, Head of Broadcast and Development at Aardman Animations and Antony Roux, Artistic Director at Ankama will be sharing their experience and talking about the strategies in their respective companies.

Monique Simard, Managing Director of the French programme at the National Film Board of Canada and Canadian Producer, Sylvain Viau, will be giving their viewpoints and talking about new incentives in Canada.

These sessions will also be complemented by French or international case studies from the animation or related sectors, covering all the creative, financial and legal angles of the production chain of cross-media projects.

You can find details of the programme and the list of speakers on www.forumblanc.org