CTN Members take a look back at 2008

Chris Bailey: 2008 was rollercoater year.  I took some time off after suping the animation on Alvin and Chips and spent a month in Israel doing some story and CG consulting for Animation Lab in Jerusalem. Shortly after returning to CA, I had the opportunity to direct a series of mini shorts for PEPFAR (President Bush’s Emergency Program For Aids Relief in Africa).  http://hivfreegeneration.warnerbros.com/

While at WB, a script page landed on my desk for an animated spot on the TERMINATOR TV series.  It was for an orientation video at a nuclear power facility.  I designed the star, ATOMIC AL and storyboarded the short educational clip about nuclear power.  Todd Bright of Studio Bright animated it in record time and it appeared on the season’s second episode where Sara Conner gets a job at a nuclear facility. The Pepfar shorts came to a conclusion in late Nov.  They were a whirlwind job.  Mainstreet Productions four walled the studio and produced the shorts on the WB lot with 5 months. Since then, I’ve been consulting with Fox Feature animation and pitching projects while rumors of Alvin ll grow.

Nancy Bieman: 2008 was a banner year. I changed countries (USA to Canada) jobs (RIT to Sheridan College) and had my first book, PREPARE TO BOARD! published in Chinese. I am preparing for a second book and second semester at Sheridan, not necessarily in that order. (more…)

Bill Melendez

Holiday Traditions, we all have our rituals right? The things we do with our families every year without fail. My family gets together and we enjoy my Mom’s delicious handmade Tamales with a warm cup of Atole. Other families bust out the eggnog and cook up a turkey. While others like my roommate back in Art School had the Traditional Christmas Hot Tub party.

Then there’s the whole tree thing, the cookies, the shopping, the wrapping, the colorful lights, the cards, the goofy sweaters. Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing a duet of the Little Drummer boy. All wonderful stuff that brings families together.

After a while I came to realize the sleighload of Holiday traditions that our Animation Forefathers gave us. Just off the top of my head let’s see, Chuck Jones and his brilliant adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s masterpiece How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Rankin Bass Stop motion Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty special. Epic! What about Yogi’s first Christmas huh? Killer! Mickey’s Christmas Carol.Gorgeous and Timeless. Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol, I dare you not to laugh! And of course who could forget the Star wars Holiday Special, sure it only played once but once was enough for it to be burned into my memory banks forever. Thank you Nelvana for the animated introduction to Boba Fett! Lest we forget the Norelco commercial with Santa riding the electric shaver down the slope. Ahhhh good times. I love all of these shows and I hope someday when I have kids to share these animated treasures with them. (more…)

Daily News Business Section Nov 14, 2008

Tina Price runs the Creative Talent Network, a small business helping top talent artists in the animation business to network and work.

The Creative Talent Network (CTN)

BUSINESS ADDRESS: P.O. Box 3598, Granada Hills, CA 91394

PHONE: 818-667-3224

WEB SITE: www.creativetalentnetwork.com

OWNER: Tina Price

ESTABLISHED: 2004

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: Two

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS: CTN is a virtual talent catalog and an online community of top talent 2-D and 3-D animation artists. It currently has more than 300 members, including contributors to some of the highest-grossing animated films in history. (more…)

CORNY COLE LOOSES HOME AND CTN HELPS BUILD COMMUNITY

(Image care of CartoonBrew)

On Oct 14th Fox News LA ran an article entitled Renowned Animator Loses Life’s Work to Marek Fire , Oct 15th CartoonBrew posted about the legendary animator Corny Cole loosing his home and everything in it during the recent fires in Southern California. The next day on Oct 16th The Creative Talent Network launched an on-line fundraiser that went viral and reached out to it’s membership and the animation community worldwide. The CTN fundraiser closed on Oct 24th at midnight after raising $12,168.00.

On behalf of all who helped spread the word and to those who donated I want to personally say “thank you”. CTN will be handing a cashiers check to Corny Cole along with the list of donors. For a complete list of donors click on read more

(These donations were not tax deductible but rather came from the heart.) (more…)

CTN CO-SPONSORS
ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD STUDENT ANIMATION FESTIVAL

On behalf of the entire team from the Creative Talent Network I would like to personally say thank you to Woodbury University and ASIFA Hollywood for giving us the opportunity to co-sponsor and bring CTN’s creative energy to the first annual ASIFA Student Animation Film Festival.

Woodbury University

On Saturday Oct 18th, 2008 over 200 students, pros and fans from various schools and studios converged on campus at Woodbury University to participate in this one day event that included portfolio reviews by local teachers, recruiters and professionals as well as industry specific panels speaking on the State of the Industry and ending with cocktail reception hosted by CTN and awards ceremony where CTN honored each of the winners by presenting them with a free membership into the premiere online networking site for students and recent graduates called Animation Alumni. (more…)

CTN at Comic Con 2008
Who get’s the Title of “Con King!!”

Words by Tina Price:

This years Comic Con seemed a huge success for all our members. With over 23 participants spread out from Aisle 900 to Aisle 5300 CTN members once again survive Comic Con San Diego and are ready for next year. But before we go…..here are some memories in booth order.

David’s Doodles
Exhibitors Table H05

David Colman

Words by David Colman:
Another successful year for me too….only left my booth for pee breaks…My new Tshirt line debuted very well!

Note: David’s T-Shirts will soon be available on his CTN Artist’s Storefront. (more…)

Eric Goldberg Book Bash
Aug 6, 2008
Samuel French Bookshop

Eric Goldberg and Darrel Van Citters
Click on image to see pictures from the event

Thank you to everyone who came out for the celebration and signing of Eric Goldbergs first book the “Character Animation Crash Course!”. A special thank you to Tee Bosustow, Brian Clift, Tad Gielow, Steve and Janette Huelett, Mark Kausler, Dorse Lanpher, Dori Littel-Herrick, Aubry Mintz, Maddy O’Neil, Tom Sito, Darrel Van Citters, and Lureline Weatherly for taking time our of your busy schedules to drop by. And to Ellen Woodbury and Hendel Butoy your signed books are in the mail.

An extra special thankyou to Eric’s publisher Gwen Feldman for co-hosting this great event and for providing the fabulous refreshments and the venue and to Eric for signing all those books. The place was entirely “yellow” with excitement as over 100 guests complete with “Character Animation Crash Course” books and t-shirts enjoyed food and drink and waited in line to get their personal signature from the creator of the Genie, Director of Pocahantas, CTN member and friend Eric Goldberg.

We had a blast thanks to you. As always we couldn’t do this without you so thanks so much for your continued support.

(more…)

Rescuers Down Under

Words and Photos care of Mike Gabriel.

Rescuers Down Under Research trip to Australia. We were the first animation crew at Disney to demand we go to the actual country and do the research before making the film. The studio naturally looked at this as an unnecessary boondogle since it had never been done as far as I know. I vowed to pay my own way if I had to. Peter Schneider relented—or should I say Jeffrey Katzenberg must have relented—-or should I say Michael Eisner must have relented— and allowed us two weeks to explore the continent of Australia. A great experience. This is Joe Ranft, Joe’s first head of story opportunity, and Maurice (Pixote Hunt) our art director at Uluru or Ayres Rock in the middle of the outback. (more…)

From the memoirs of Dorse A. Lanpher “Flyin’ Chunks and Other Things To Duck”

Dorse Lanpher 1975 Walt Disney Animation
(Photo care of Dorse Lanpher)

In1975 I was re-employed by Walt Disney Feature Animation after having spent 12 years living the artist life in the outer world. I had resigned from Disney’s in 1962 thinking animated cartoons just didn’t serve the world. I had an opportunity to go into technical films which I thought would help instruct the world rather than just entertain. Most of the films I worked on in this period were military films which served a wealth of information on how to fight wars, break things and hurt people severely. I eventually came to conclude that contributing art to animated cartoons was a more useful worldly uplifting endeavor. At this time I had become involved in my own company, a partnership with four partners and myself. It was like being married to four people, all guys with too much testosterone. I decided to sell my share in our little concern and seek another job. Fortunately the other guys wanted my shares and Disney’s wanted me back. Well, Disney’s wanted me back after a lengthy interview. At that interview I tried very hard to convince them that I could animate special effects but I had to settle for a position as an assistant animator in the special effects department.

(more…)

Words and Images care of Dorse Lanphers memoirs “Flyin’ Chunks and Other things to Duck”

In 1979 I was comfortable in my position as department supervisor at Walt Disney Feature Animation but there were political clouds forming on the animation horizon. Don Bluth, along with Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy felt the studio wasn’t being true to what they thought Walt Disney himself wanted of animation. There were others who didn’t agree and tensions were mounting. (more…)