Oscar winning animation director Chris Landreth is one of the true legends of the contemporary creative animation scene. Landreth has been at the absolute forefront of computer animation development for a decade. His films -- THE END, BINGO and RYAN -- represented groundbreaking leaps in pushing technology to its limits to show the breadth of what animation was capable of depicting on the screen. Landreth was nominated for an Academy Award for THE END, with RYAN winning the Oscar for Best Short Animation in 2005. This seminar presentation will go beyond Landreth's films and provide insight into his successful marriage of creativity and technology. Landreth will talk about "Psychorealism", the use of art and animation to depict the realism of one's emotional and spiritual state. He explores the "Uncanny Valley" (the "creepy" effect experienced when CGI characters are too realistic, leading to a feeling of revulsion in the viewer) and how his latest film THE SPINE attempts to avoid this problem. He also shows how his animators used a Method-acting approach to nick subtle gestures, ticks, and micro-expressions in their characters' faces and bodies, and explains how his crew balanced realism and stylization to create characters who are Uncanny in a positive way. Landreth's talk will be followed by a Q&A. University of Technology, Sydney Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, 3rd Floor, Lecture Theatre 322 702 - 730 Harris Street ( next to the ABC) Cost : Free 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Details: http://www.dab.uts.edu.au/ Transport UTS is only ten minutes walk from Central Station, Eddy Avenue and Railway Square bus stops. Parking is available for those with a disability or special need to drive: Peter Johnson Building, Basement Car Park, 702-730 Harris St. Ultimo.

CSU School of Visual and Performing Arts is proud to announce that one of the true legends of the modern creative animation scene, Chris Landreth, is coming to Australia and heading to Wagga Wagga. This exclusive opportunity to meet the Oscar-winning director and see his work firsthand will simply leave anyone with the merest appreciation of the moving image astounded.

An Evening with Chris Landreth
Date: Monday, June 29
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Forum 6 Cinema
Cost: $10
Oscar-winning director Chris Landreth personally presents his newest film, THE SPINE. Also features special screening of THE END, BINGO and RYAN with introductions and Q&A.

Chris Landreth Lecture: Psychologically-Driven Animation
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Charles Sturt University, Building 014, Room 209
(Download the CSU Wagga Campus map here: http://www.csu.edu.au/about/maps/pdfs/csu-wagga.pdf)
Cost: Free

Expanded seminar presentation going beyond the films and providing an invaluable insight to the world of computer graphics. This presentation is a preview of Landreth’s highly anticipated keynote at SIGGRAPH2009: http://www.siggraph.org/s2009/sessions/featured_speakers/

Important: The screening and lecture may contain mature content not suitable for children.

The Gnomon Workshop is proud to announce its eighth Gnomon Workshop LIVE weekend to be held at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, CA. The event will feature another incredible line-up of instructors and speakers in and out of The Gnomon Workshop library. We have finalized our instructor list with the additions of Neville Page and Dan Taylor. Neville is a Gnomon Workshop veteran who has designed creatures for numerous films including CLOVERFIELD, the recently released STAR TREK and James Cameron's upcoming film Avatar. Dan was the animation supervisor for TRANSFORMERS and for soon-to-be-released TRANSFORMERS 2. The other artists in our line-up include Jordu Schell, Ben Procter, Scott Patton, Ian Joyner, Paul Richards, Alex Oliver, Chuk Wojtkiewicz, Chris Kirshbaum and Glenn Rane. These artists have worked on such projects as AVATAR, CLOVERFIELD, IRON MAN, TRANSFORMERS, TIM BURTON'S ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TRON, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, KUNG FU PANDA, WORLD OF WARCRAFT, STARCRAFT, QUAKE 4, WARHAMMER ONLINE, WARHAMMER 40,000, BIOSHOCK, HELLGATE and DARKSIDERS, just to name a few. We are also excited to announce the return of our Recruiting Room! This is a great opportunity to meet supervisors and art directors in the industry, so bring your portfolios and your questions. Our past recruiters have included representatives from such studios as: Nickelodeon, Blizzard, Naughty Dog, NBC Universal, ESPN, Top Cow, Insomniac, Activision, Digital Domain, Gentle Giant, and Rhythm and Hues. Also, we are rapidly approaching June 1st, the last day on which you can purchase a ticket at a discounted price. Get your tickets today!.

You are invited to our Summer 2009 Open House Career Exhibition!

Saturday, June 27th 10AM @ Video Symphony - The Hollywood Institute

Come see live presentations on Film & TV Editing, Pro Tools Audio Engineering, and Motion Graphics Design for our award-winning professional instructors.

Tour our state of the art facilities where you could be learning skills for your new career. Meet with our job placement agents to discover how you can launch your career in the entertainment industry. Find out how you can afford to pursue your dreams in our financial aid info session.

Friends and family are welcome and lunch will be provided.

Saturday, June 27th 10AM
266 E Magnolia Blvd, Burbank CA 91502
(free parking in adjacent structure)

Space is limited so call or email today to reserve your spot!
RSVP@vs.edu 818-557-7200

www.videosymphony.com

In Northern Virginia, some things in life are still free thanks to Cox Communications. For five nights, from June 24 through June 28, at Van Dyck Park in Fairfax, the company hosts its annual Cox Movies Under the Moon, a free outdoor film festival offering family-friendly entertainment under the stars. This is the seventh year that Cox has partnered with the City of Fairfax and 97.1 WASH FM to present this event. In keeping with Cox's commitment to the community, attendees are invited to contribute donations to benefit Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. Cox Movies Under the Moon is shown using state-of-the-art digital projection on a giant 40-foot by 20-foot outdoor screen with a Dolby surround sound system similar to those in movie theaters. This year's scheduled movies include several popular box office favorites: -- Wednesday, June 24 -- KUNG FU PANDA (PG) -- Thursday, June 25 -- TWILIGHT (PG - 13) -- Friday, June 26 -- BOOMERANG CARTOONS (PG) -- Saturday, June 27 -- THE DARK KNIGHT (PG - 13) -- Sunday, June 28 -- MAMMA MIA! (PG - 13) Gates will open each night at 6:30 p.m., and movies will start at 8:30 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to come early, bring blankets and beach chairs, and purchase food from on-site vendors to support Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. Since 2003, Cox Movies Under the Moon has raised nearly $60,000 to benefit the hospital. For more information about the film festival, visit www.moviesunderthemoon.com.

THE ABYSS, the deep-sea epic renowned for its pioneering digital water effects and sophisticated underwater photography and sound recording, will be screened at a special 20th anniversary event by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. This screening will premiere a newly struck 35mm print from the Academy Film Archive. Presented by the Academy's Science and Technology Council, the event will be hosted by film historian and author Eric Lichtenfeld and will feature an onstage panel discussion on the role motion picture science and technology played in shaping the film. Guests will include members of the film's Oscar-winning visual effects team, John Bruno, Dennis Skotak and Hoyt Yeatman, and nominees Mikael Salomon (Cinematography) and Lee Orloff (Sound) as well as John Knoll, the movie's computer graphics designer who specialized in the development of the Pseudopod creature elements. THE ABYSS stars Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and tells the story of crew members on an underwater oil rig during the Cold War who are enlisted to help rescue an American submarine, and the bizarre, mysterious force they discover living in the deep. Established in 2003 by the Academy's Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures. Tickets to THE ABYSS are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, at the Academy box office (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online at www.oscars.org. Doors open one hour prior to the event. All seating is unreserved. The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

The Los Angeles Film Festival, held annually for ten days in June, showcases the best of American and international cinema. Drawing on an expected attendance of 85,000, the festival provides films with the opportunity to be embraced by the public and discovered by the industry. More than 100 feature films -- narrative and documentary-are featured in the festival, alongside gala premieres, panels and seminars, short film programs, music video showcases, free outdoor screenings, live musical performances, and unique signature events. Now in its fifteenth year, the Festival has grown into a world-class event, uniting new filmmakers with critics, scholars, film masters, and the movie-loving public.

Festival passes for the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival go on sale Tuesday, May 5. Tickets to individual screenings will be available for purchase beginning on May 29. Passes and tickets can be purchased on this web site or over the phone at 866.FILMFEST (345-6337). Walk up sales of passes and tickets will begin at Festival Ticket Office on Sunday, June 14.

Approximately 110 features, 40 shorts, and 60 music videos make up the main body of the Festival. This year, Festival programmers considered more than 4,500 films.

Executives from major motion picture studios and other buyers of post production services will offer advice on how to win their business in a lunch-time panel discussion hosted by the Hollywood Post Alliance's Sales Career Resource Group (SCRG), Wednesday, June 17th, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Scheduled participants in the event, dubbed "How Do You Get, Keep and Not Lose My Business?", include Charlie Davis, Executive Vice President of Post Production at CBS Films, Bruce Sandzimier, Vice President of Post Production at ABC Studios, and independent post production consultant Joe Fineman (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, MONSTER). SCRG Co-chair Herb Dow will serve as moderator. Members of the SCRG committee include Ben Benedetti, Denice Angelo-Cummins, Herb Dow (Co-Chair), Joel Epps, Mark Genin, Lisa Griffin, Chris Gregory, Seth Hallen (Chair) and Pat Howley. The Hollywood Post Alliance's Sales Career Resource Group was formed last year to provide networking opportunities, training and employment resources to sales and marketing professionals in the post production industry. Through hosted events and website resources, SCRG allows its members to engage with industry colleagues in a relaxed and mutually supportive environment, and to gain insights from industry leaders. Past SCRG events have included expert presentations-from a sales perspective-on emerging technologies such as digital workflows and the Red Camera. For more information on the HPA's Sales Career Resource Group, visit http://www.scrgonline.com. For more information on the Hollywood Post Alliance, visit www.hpaonline.com. Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Hollywood Dr., Universal, CA 91608 11:30 a.m. - Networking and Cash Bar 11:45 a.m. - Buffet Lunch 12:15 - 1:45 p.m. - Panel Discussion Reservations: www.scrgonline.com/Events

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present "A Tribute to Dick Smith: The Godfather of Special Makeup Effects," on Wednesday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Six-time Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker will host the evening, which will be attended by Smith himself and will feature a panel discussion including writer-director Guillermo del Toro, actor Hal Holbrook and makeup artists Greg Cannom, Kazuhiro Tsuji and Andrew Clement, among others. The evening will highlight Smith's innovative career, which began in 1945 when he became NBC's first makeup man. Smith is known for his makeup artistry on such films as THE GODFATHER, THE EXORCIST and TAXI DRIVER, but it was his work with Paul LeBlanc on AMADEUS (1984), that finally earned him an Oscar. Tickets for "A Tribute to Dick Smith" are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased beginning May 26 online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600. For the latest updates on panelists and program details, visit www.oscars.org.

Luxology LLC is continuing its successful European Roadshow by hosting a modo 401 launch event in Paris on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. The event will serve as a platform for Luxology to debut the newest version of the company's innovative 3D modeling, painting and rendering software, modo 401. A modo 401 demonstration, using Roadshow sponsor Wacom's latest Intuos tablet technology, will be given by Andy Brown, Luxology's training division manager and Gregory Duquesne, a Luxology senior engineer. Representatives from game development leader Black Rock Studio will be speaking at the launch event to demonstrate how they use modo to create original games. Cedric Guibert of standardnonstandard will also demonstrate how modo fits within his workflow pipeline and Jacques Defontaine, modo 401 beta tester and independent graphic design professional with varied experience at Weta Digital, Grid and Casterman, will be on hand to answer questions about recent projects created using modo 401. Event location and date are as follows: Forum des Images Forum des Halles 2 rue du cinema 75045 Paris cedex 01 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 2:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required and attendance is limited, so please visit http://www.luxology.com/event/2009/paris/ to register. For more information on the modo 401 software, please visit http://www.luxology.com/modo/401.introduction/.