Mission Statement
Newbreed is to provide high quality visual effects services for the film, television, advertising and video game industries.

Infrastructure
Working within budgetary, scheduling and technological constraints, Newbreed understands the necessity of rigorously managing the process of production and possesses the equipment and staff to adapt to its client’s needs. Our studio can house up to 80 digital artists.

Experience
Newbreed has undergone remarkable growth since its creation, and follows a general guideline of hiring experienced leaders to keep the studio’s technical and artistic development on track. Newbreed’s seasoned team have worked on films as prestigious as Shrek 2, Madagascar, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Chronicles of Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lord of the Rings, Happy Feet, King Kong, 300, etc.

Leadership

Newbreed’s principles include Emile Ghorayeb, Josee Lalumiere, Didier Kaade and Jocelyn Cote. Their combined talents consist of a proven track record within the film, game cinematics and television industries, while having access to a deep pool of world class talent.

Emile Ghorayeb | Animation Director
Emile Ghorayeb is one of the most recognized animators in the industry having been a strategic contributor on a great number of high profile productions such as Academy Award® nominated Shrek 2, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, Academy Award® nominated Shrek The Third, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, VES Award winning Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, as well as key shots in the highly acclaimed and Academy Award® nominated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
He has managed and participated in the development of production teams in multiple animation and visual effects studios. Emile has been working in the industry since 1997, has strong working knowledge of state of the art software with nominations as Siggraph Maya Master 2008 and 3dsMax Master 2008.

Josee Lalumiere | General Manager
Josee Lalumiere has been in charge of structuring and managing daily operations for companies since 1994. Moreover, she was General Manager of a visual effects studio for many years, increasing the company’s staff from 15 to 120 employees in a mere 5 years. She also acted as a VFX Producer for more than 30 film and television projects including VES Award Winning IMAX 3D Sea Monsters: The Prehistoric Adventure. During this period, she developed a network of contacts with clients and created business opportunities and partnerships with other studios, suppliers, and governmental authorities responsible for different tax credits.

Jocelyn Cote | CFO
Jocelyn Cote spent thirteen years as a corporate banker with the internationally reputable French bank Credit Lyonnais, having assumed various functions starting in Montreal before transitioning over an eight year period through Calgary, Paris, Chicago and back to Montreal, where he was last Vice President in charge of the bank’s commercial activities through 2000. In 2001, he formed his own advisory firm focusing on strategic intervention and management strategy, resource allocation, compensation incentives, financial controls, business restructuring and financing requirements. Newbreed also benefits from his seasoned managerial experience, financial insight and established credibility

Between ALVIN and ALVIN 2, Chris directed the PEPFAR shorts for Warner Bros. and the Kenyan government. Chris made his directing debut with Disney’s RUNAWAY BRAIN, a short film featuring Mickey Mouse. Prior to that, Chris animated on several Disney classics such as THE LITTLE MERMAID and THE LION KING. Chris then directed IT’S TOUGH TO BE A BUG, a 3D film for Walt Disney Attractions. From there, Hollywood Pictures hired him to be the Creature Animation Consultant on their thriller DEEP RISING, and then the animation director for MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. His dedication to innovative, cutting edge animation shines in many other films including Disney’s INSPECTOR GADGET.

Chris broke as a director on the first season of Disney’s highly successful series, KIM POSSIBLE, which he also executive produced. Previously, Miramax Television and Walt Disney Television Animation brought Chris in to be the Supervising Director of Kevin Smith’s animated series, CLERKS. Years later, The Weinsteins brought Chris onto the feature OPUS.

Following OPUS, Disney hired Chris to travel to China to interface with the executives and artists in the Chinese animation studio Disney was partnered with. This wasn’t the only time Disney asked Chris to bridge the gap between animation studios of different nations. While working as the director on KIM POSSIBLE, Chris traveled to Korea to teach the artistic style to the artists and directors working at the studio producing the show.

Chris was one of the first 2D character animators to embrace computer animation. The CG work on his personal projects, commercials and rock videos has led to speaking engagements at Imagina in Monte Carlo and Siggraph.

With his love of teaching, Chris shares his knowledge to numerous colleges and high schools in Southern California. He regularly appears as a guest lecturer at California Lutheran University. As a frequent guest to his alma mater Cal Arts, Chris lends his knowledge and experience to their Character Animation Program.

Chris continues to develop his own projects. He is the creator of MAJOR DAMAGE, a comic book and short film about a little boy who is transformed into MAJOR DAMAGE, a superhero with extraordinary power who battles “mutants, monsters and alien scum.” Since its creation, the property has spawned a 3D short written & directed by Chris, merchandise and has been published by Image and Sky Dog comics.

After three and a half years, we moved one block east to a much larger and more dynamic space. Still in the heart of quaint downtown Alhambra, we re-opened in March of 2008 with over 2000 square feet of open gallery space, 1000 square feet of shop/boutique, and over 3000 square feet of studio/production space.

Having exhibited both local artists and artists from abroad, and catering to an international customer base, we offer an extensive collection of original contemporary, illustrated, graphic, commercial, and narrative art. (All of which are carefully cataloged online in our website.)

Always open to the public, we welcome art collectors and the general public alike to visit us seven days a week.

Visit Nucleus Gallery at their booth at CTN-X
Nucleus Gallery

Here are just two of the many books he has illustrated.

“Zorro and Mister Bud in, Say Hello to Zorro” published by Simon and Schuster is the first in a coming series due out next summer.

Mister Bud is a dog of routine. He has wake up time, nap time, rest time, dinner time, etc. And everyone knows to follow his schedule.

Then disaster strikes. A stranger comes home at “make a fuss time” and throws everything off! Zorro is little bit bossy and Mister Bud wants nothing to do with him. But when the dogs discover they like the same things (like chasing the cat and napping), everything becomes more fun. As long as everyone follows the schedule.

The Hermit Crab
Hermit Crab is no hero. He would rather just keep to himself. He’s content to spend the day looking for food and staying comfy in his shell. And when he finds a new shell, he is excited to have something so beautiful for himself. But when a mysterious contraption lands in the center of town, no one knows what to make of it. The lobster thinks it’s a restaurant. The bluefish thinks it’s a trap. No one is brave enough to go near it until they realize that flounder is trapped underneath! When Hermit Crab comes upon the contraption looking for the source of the delicious smell, he inadvertantly rescues the flounder and everyone in town cheers his triumph, but is he the hero or is his shell?

A Creature Was Stirring
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and in this great house the creature who stirred was a boy, not a mouse. And while upstairs his parents were dreaming and snoring, with Santa so close, sleep seemed pretty boring.

Esteemed New Yorker cover artist Carter Goodrich retells the story of ‘Twas the night before Christmas from the child’s point of view. With Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem one one side of every page, and a child’s comedic rhyming on the other,  this magical book about seeing and dreaming of Santa Claus will inspire readers of all ages to believe. Against a luminous backdrop of midnight and silver, memories of Christmases past and present converge in a modern classic born in the tradition of The Polar Express.

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (born May 8, 1938) (alias Moebius or Gir) is a legendary author and comic strip artist. In 1963, under the name Gir he and Jean-Michel Charlier, then director of Pilote, created the series Blueberry. Following the death of Charlier, Jean Giraud continued this series, which currently counts about thirty albums. As co-creator in 1975 of the magazine MŽtal Hurlant and the publishing house Les Humano•des AssociŽs, Jean Giraud developed the unique style which he signed Moebius, publishing such groundbreaking works as Arzach (1976) and Le Garage hermŽtique (1979) that revolutionized the art of comics. In 1980, he collaborated with Alexandro Jodorowsky on a new series L’Incal and later worked on numerous films.

Since the middle of the 1950s, Jean Giraud has developed a variety of styles, from the detailed realism of Blueberry, to the dreamlike drawings of Arzach or 40 days dans le DŽsert B. He is particularly well-known for his extraordinarily refined and strangely metaphysical visions of the future with intricately designed spacecraft, crystalline landscapes, and hybrid creatures.

Internationally recognized, his work has profoundly influenced the worlds of science fiction, animation, publicity, 3D imagery and video games for over thirty years. His drawings have also attracted the attention of great filmmakers who have asked him to collaborate on a number of films including Luc Besson’s 5th Element, James Cameron’s Abyss, Steven Lisberger’s Tron, Ridley Scott’s Alien, and RenŽ Laloux’s Les Ma”tres du temps (storyboard) among many others. In 1997, he and his wife Isabelle founded the publishing house Moebius Production / Stardom where together they publish books including, most recently, volume six of the Inside Moebius series, which was released in January 2010. They also make prints and organize exhibitions of his work throughout the world.

Held at the CTN-X Academy Theater space The Creative Talent Network® is proud to present the exclusive US appearance of legendary comic artist and designer Jean Giraud “Moebius” in an “An Evening with Moebius”.

Show guests enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and see Jean Giraud in this exclusive rare appearance . The evening will be moderated by (TBA) for a 75 min presentation complete with artwork examples, discussion and Q+A. Special event memorabilia brochure included.

Having not been in the United States for over 15 years “An Evening with Moebius” is specifically designed to promote a “special event” atmosphere in an intimate environment for both the artist and the guests. The intention is to focus of the celebration of the genius and talent behind this National Treasure of France, Jean Giraud “Moebius” through a moderated interview / discussion format. After the presentation guests are invited to stay for the after hours networking party.

Saturday Nov 20th 8pm

Reservations available at: http://www.regonline.com/ctnx2010

(All scheduled appearances are subject to the health conditions and production schedules of the talent.)Note: “An Evening with Moebius” is a separate special event and is not included in a 1-day or 3-day pass.

Title: The Future Has Arrived
Sponsored by The Creative Talent Network
CTNX09: Filmed Nov 2009; Posted August 2010
Length 45 min

Chris Oatley has worked as a visual development artist and a content creator in the entertainment industries for six years. Chris has worked in visual development on films at Disney and The Weinstein Company. He has developed music videos for Geffen Records and he directed one for EMI. He has also worked in development on several video games from Sony, EA, Konami, Activision and Hasbro. He specializes in character design and development for animation.

Chris spends vast amounts of time creating content for his website, ChrisOatley.com where you can find digital painting tutorials, interviews with working artists, free Photoshop resources, articles about painting, drawing and screenwriting and of course, his own artwork. His goal is to inspire his audience. He loves his wife, Angie more than he can explain and finds that her patience and encouragement has significantly increased his artistic ability. His tiny brown dachshund is named Sydney because Chris and Angie are big ‘Alias’ fans. He dreams of being an art director in animation and of writing and directing feature films (both live action and animated). He currently lives in Venice, California.

The Future Has Arrived: Enrich and Extend Your Art Life By Embracing The Internet.

In this session, you will learn how to create, market and distribute your own creative content for little or no money, how to cultivate authentic relationships in online creative communities and how to monetize digital content. Most importantly you will learn how the ancient art of sharing knowledge, in light of the possibilities provided by various new media can redefine your artistic future and engage your audience in an unprecedented way.

Title: Director for Animation vs Live Action
Sponsored by The Creative Talent Network
CTNX09: Filmed Nov 2009; Posted August 2010
Length 45 min

Bill Kroyer is an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films. Trained in classic hand-drawn animation at the Disney Studio, Bill was one of the first animators to make the leap to computer animation as Computer Image Choreographer on Disney’s ground-breaking 1982 feature, “Tron.” Founding his own company, Kroyer Films, Inc., Bill and his wife Susan pioneered the technique of combining hand-drawn animation with computer animation. Bill was Director of such projects as his Academy Award® nominated short film “Technological Threat” and the theatrical animated feature film “FernGully: The Last Rainforest”. Bill is currently Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles, where he supervised animation “Garfield”, “Scooby Doo”, “Cats & Dogs” and “The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.” He has directed animation in commercials for Cox Communications, Novell, AT&T, Cheetos, Hankook, and the Coca Cola Polar Bears. Bill’s animation has won awards at festivals all over the world. He serves on the Executive Board of the Animation Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Join Bill at CTN-X 09 where his will be joined by other experts in from 2D, 3D and VFX as he hosts some engaging round table discussion on the subject of animations.
CTN Member Bill Kroyer

Rob Minkoff Animation director Rob Minkoff was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. In his youth his interest in drawing and animation was magnified while watching his 8mm film collection, which included Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (1959). Slowing the films down, he studied the action one frame at a time. He furthered his personal education on the subject after discovering the book The Art of Walt Disney at a friend’s house.

While his head wasn’t swimming in animation, Minkoff worked in theater, performing for numerous groups including the Palo Alto Children’s Theater, Theater Works and his high school dramatic group. Following graduation, the decision to attend CalArts in Valencia and pursue his dream of becoming an animator was coming into fruition.

In 1982, he served an internship at Disney and had a chance to train with one of the studio’s legendary “nine old men,” Eric Larson. A year later, Minkoff was hired by Disney and began to work on his first assignment, The Black Cauldron (1985), followed by The Great Mouse Detective (1986). The next few years he worked on various aspect of Disney’s feature films such as developing and writing for a variety of animated features, including a song for Oliver & Company (1988), character designs for The Little Mermaid (1989), and an early treatment for Beauty And The Beast (1991).

He made his directing debut on a couple of animated shorts starring Roger Rabbit, such as Tummy Trouble (1989) followed by Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990). He landed the chance to direct a feature film in the early 90’s with Disney’s The Lion King (1994).

Following the success of The Lion King (1994), Minkoff left Disney to work with Columbia where he released the popular Stuart Little (1999) films (1999 and 2002), based on a mouse who lives as an equal family member with a group of kindly humans. The films mix live action and computer animation.

Simon Wells The great-grandson of celebrated author H.G. Wells, who penned such classics as The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau and The War of the Worlds, Simon hails from Cambridge, England, where his parents taught at the prestigious university. Wells attended Leicester Polytechnic where he studied audio-visual design.

Following school, he worked for British animator Richard Williams, and worked on a number of different animated commercials. After a few years, the studio closed down and Wells turned to creating storyboards for such feature-length films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the two sequels to Back to the Future.

In the ’90s, Wells turned to directing and made his debut with the sequel to An American Tail. Although not as popular as the first film, the sequel did well enough to garner some notice, and future work. The rest of the ’90s saw Wells work on other animated features such as Balto (1995) and The Prince of Egypt (1998).

For the start of this millennium, Wells decided to tackle his first live-action film, and chose none other than his own great-grandfather’s The Time Machine (2002).

For more information about Rob please visit his website: http://wwwbroadviewgraphics.blogspot.com

Title:Indy Studio Owners
Sponsored by Animation Magazine
CTNX09: Filmed Nov 2009; Posted Aug 2010
Length 45 min

The production model has changed in the past 10-15 years. The inclusion of downsizing and outsourcing by the large production studios has given fuel to the startups and smaller independent studio owner. Find out about starting up, growing and surviving an independent animation studio from some of the most successful studios owners in this business.

Moderator Phillip Williams:

Bobby Chiu:

is a Toronto-based artist and the founder of Imaginism Studios. He is known for his creature concepts and other fantastical, quirky characters. Some of Bobby’s favorite themes to explore are disguise, irony, and duality. You can see his creatures in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”, to be released in March 2010, as well as upcoming feature films from Sony, Warner Bros., and Disney due in theaters in 2010 and 2011.

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Tony Bancroft: Director/ Animator– Upon graduating from high school, Tony was accepted into the exclusive, Disney sponsored, California Institute of the Arts (Cal-Arts) in 1987, where he developed a life long love of artistry and cartooning. That same year, he was “drafted” to lend his talents to the big league animation of Walt Disney Studios. During his 12-year career at Walt Disney Studios, Tony is most notably known as the award winning, co-director of Walt Disney’s Mulan. In addition, Tony also contributed his animation talents to such popular Disney features as The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. He was also the Supervising Animator, creating the lovable warthog, “Pumbaa”, in Disney’s The Lion King. Following his work as the Supervising Animator for “Kronk” in The Emperor’s New Groove, Tony left Disney. As an independent artist he served as the Animation Director for Sony Pictures’ summer 2002 release, “Stuart Little 2” and, in 2003, was Voice Director of the English language version of the Miyasaki film “Porco Rosso” through Walt Disney Studios. At the same time Tony created his own studio Toonacious Family Entertainment with the help of two close friends and partners. Toonacious has specialized in feature development and commercial production for over 7 years. Tony is currently directing a CG feature called “Bunyan and Babe” for a 2010 release date. Having finally realized his passion of creating characters and developing projects that reflect his own heart, this labor of love is more than just ‘entertainment’. Tony and his wife, Rene, have three daughters and live in Pasadena, CA

Darryl Van Citters:

is a nationally renowned animation director and leader of Renegade’s creative team.  Darrell trained at Cal Arts and got his start at Disney where he earned his first directing credit on the experimental short “Fun with Mr. Future” and developed the feature, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” He later joined Warner Bros. Classic Animation where he directed animated commercials and short films with the Looney Tunes characters, including the first theatrical Bugs Bunny short in 27 years, “Box Office Bunny”.  Along with his business partner, Ashley Postlewaite, he founded Renegade Animation in 1992.  Darrell oversees all of Renegade’s film, television and commercial projects and served as co-executive producer and animation director of “Christmas Is Here Again,” Renegade’s first animated feature.   Some of his other credits include “Captain Sturdy,” the award-winning Internet series “Elmo Aardvark: Outer Space Detective” and dozens of television commercials for internationally known brands.  Darrell also has a passion for animation and its history, and has just written and published a book on the making of the very first animated Christmas special, “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol,” currently available at mrmagooschristmascarol.com.

Chris Hamilton:

founded OddBot Inc. in 2006 with a clear vision—to create high-quality animation and smart storytelling. In the first three years of production, Hamilton has produced hours of entertainment for Playhouse Disney, PBS Kids Sprout, and American Greetings. Recent credits include Tasty Time with ZeFronk, Can you Teach my Alligator Manners, and Maryoku Yummy.

In 2009, Hamilton launched his own original content including Freaky Robots and the popular Halloween short, A Candy Affair.
About OddBot Inc.

Based in Los Angeles, OddBot is a full-service animation studio, home to a talented group of artists, writers, directors, and producers with broad experience in features, broadcast TV, and the Web. Their diversity in style and genre has earned the studio a reputation for outstanding animation, design, and writing.

Visit their website at www.oddbot.net

Sale had two years of college at the University of Washington and attended the comics workshop run by John Buscema in NYC in 1976, but is largely self-taught. As his experience with talented writers such as Jeph Loeb and Matt Wagner progressed, his interest in commercial art outside of comics did as well, and Sale believes that it is this exposure and inspiration that is largely responsible for his continued employability and career longevity.

With writer Jeph Loeb, Tim has produced such comics as Batman: The Long Halloween, Spider-Man Blue, and Catwoman: When in Rome. He also created the art on the first two seans of the NBC tav show, HEROES.

He lives in southern California with his two dogs, the mighty and lovable, Jackie and Sammy.

As an independent filmmaker, Sergio has shown his work at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, at the North Hampton Film Festival, and at the Microcinefest in Baltimore.

Sergio’s work was featured in “The Art of Clone Wars” published by Chronicle Books, “The Art of Darkwatch” published by Design Studio Press, and the Totoro Forest Project Art Exhibition. Sergio worked for Lucas Animation on the Clone Wars Animated Series. You can see more of Sergio’s work at www.SergioPaez.com

As CEO and Creative Director at THE THIRD FLOOR, Edwards has helped design many feature films, commercials, and video game cinematics. Theatrical credits include The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Valkyrie, Eagle Eye, Beowulf, Cloverfield, Avatar, and Alice in Wonderland. Cinematic credits include Resident Evil 5, Starcraft II, Diablo III, & Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.

Chris Edwards is also one of the founders of the recently announced Previsualization Society, an international organization dedicated to furthering the artform of previs.

The Third Floor Inc., is the World’s Preeminent Previsualization Company. Since 2004, the Studio has helped clients visualize and maximize their creative content by creating computer-animated blueprints known as “previsualizations”. The company’s feature film credits include: Valkyrie, Cloverfield, Star Trek, Avatar and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The Third Floor also works with video game developers to design detailed cinematics for titles such as: Starcraft II, Diablo III, Resident Evil 5, Need for Speed and the Command & Conquer series. The Third Floor’s veteran previs teams know how to interface with Directors, Designers and VFX Supervisors to deliver cohesive animated blueprints for the most challenging creative projects. For more information about the previs process, and for extensive examples of The Third Floor’s work, please visit: www.thethirdfloorinc.com

THE THIRD FLOOR – Credits

FEATURES:
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – George Lucas
War of the Worlds – Steven Spielberg
Beowulf – Robert Zemeckis
Eragon – Stefen Fangmeier
TMNT – Kevin Munroe
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Eric Brevig
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 – Gore Verbinski
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – Tim Story
Evan Almighty – Tom Shadyac
Cloverfield – JJ Abrams
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – Andrew Adamson
The Happening – M. Night Shyamalan
Meet Dave – Brian Robbins
Eagle Eye – DJ Caruso
Valkyrie – Bryan Singer
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Andrew Adamson
A Christmas Carol – Robert Zemeckis
Kingdom Come – Dean Wright
Avatar – James Cameron
Star Trek – JJ Abrams
Alice in Wonderland – Tim Burton
Mars Needs Moms! – Simon Wells
Arthur Christmas – Sarah Smith & Barry Cook
Iron Man 2 – Jon Favreau
Thor – Kenneth Branagh
Medieval – Rob Cohen
Conan – Marcus Nispel
Captain Nemo – Mc G
The Smurfs – Raja Gosnell
Battleship – Peter Berg
Immortals – Tarsem Singh
I Am Number Four – DJ Caruso
Jack the Giant Killer – Bryan Singer
Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller
X-Men: First Class – Matthew Vaughn
Fright Night – Craig Gillespie
War Horse – Steven Spielberg
Gravity – Alfonso Cuarón

VIDEO GAME CINEMATICS:
Lair
Warhawk
Lost Odyssey
Socom 3: Navy Seals
Need for Speed: Pro Street
Command & Conquer: Arena
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: 4
Resident Evil 5
Lost Planet 2
Starcraft II
Diablo III

Currently Sean is working with Leapfrog creating a new designs for an upcoming IP.

On the side he is working on his creator own properties such as; Bastion’s 7, Gumshoes 4 Hire, Little Big Heads and Critta Tykes.

At CTN-X Humberto and I will bring some original art, books, toy samples and masters plus some images of the Warner Bros,  Hanna Barbera and Anima Estudios Mexico animation movie I’m working on right know.  We can’t show anything now, but in November will be perfect.

Help us welcome Francisco Herrera to CTN-X 2009.   Register Now http://www.regonline.com/ctnanimationexpo2009

At an early age, (about 6-7 years old) Damon discovered window putty, (that stuff that holds the glass in a window frame) with the help of his sister who showed him how to make “putty ducks”. His mother would paint pictures on the glass windows during the holidays while his father had a knack for carving wood figures. He was immediately fascinated with the shapeable substance and displayed a natural talent for making sculptures out of not only “window putty” but assorted other mediums that inspired him to make forms from the fantastic to the familiar. These were some of his first exposures to the world of art. Other early inspirations were movies and fine art that fed the imagination and development of the young emerging artist.

Two local sculptors provided fundamental inspirational to Damon during this period. The first was Dan Reeder, who made wacky monster caricatures from cloth-mache, and Kim Graham who instilled the need for precise and scientific anatomy, even in fantasy creatures. Other local artists that contributed to his development were two painters, surrealist Ilene Meyer and fantasy artist Zak Pasco.

Along with sculpture, drawing and painting were also experimented with, and during his first year of high school, Damon had attended college art classes at night in his hometown of Seattle, WA. Upon graduating high school, 16 yr old Damon immediately started working professionally in the entertainment industry on TV commercials at Will Vinton Studios in Portland, OR where his career officially began, although he was selling bronze and clay sculptures for years prior to that to numerous art collectors.

From then on, Damon has been working along side some of the most talented, acclaimed, and awarded artists and directors in the industry and on some of the most successful films ever made; Kung Fu Panda, Ratatouille, Shrek 3, Shrek 2, Star Wars: Episode 3, Over The Hedge, Madagascar, and Madagascar II, to name a few. He is currently developing characters for several projects, one he recently finished is Henry Selick’s “Coraline”. Damon also works on his bronze figurative sculpture and oil paintings between and during projects as time allows.

Bard Sculpture Studio is committed to creating and furthering the excellence of the art of character design in the Animation and Visual Effects Industry by continuing to use traditional and modern sculpture techniques and design methods to bring the most memorable characters and creatures to life for audiences around the world to love and enjoy.

Recently, Damon Bard has been featured in several media posts:

Character Design- Mar 2008: http://damon-bard-interview.blogspot.com/
Character Design- Feb 09: http://characterdesign.blogspot.com/2009/02/coraline-maquettes-over-at-damon-bards.html
WonderCon 2009 WLTV interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJQHsArYDpI

A word on Sculpture:

“Standing in real space, sculpture defies time. Many moving examples of it have come down to us from the past—moving, because this art always focuses directly on the image and work of man, who carved and modelled even before he took to building and painting. For many periods of history, statuary constitutes the sole remaining testimony of man’s awareness of himself and his world.

Yet, of all forms of artistic expression, sculpture remains even today the least understood, the least appreciated. Often set in a public space, often of considerable size and weight, it does not stir the imagination as the other arts do. Nor can it arise and expand with the ease, independence and spontaneity of drawing or painting, for it is closely connected with architecture and needs a social setting in order to reach its full, monumental dimension.”

Excerpt from; Sculpture- From Antiquity To The Present Day – Taschen Books.

“The foregoing quote eventually leads up to a commentary on monumental sculpture and its role in living spaces (i.e. architecture), making specific points about the importance and significance of sculpture from the traditional sense in the fine arts, to the basic perception of space it occupies, and with people’s interactions with this medium. That being acknowledged, I think that additional support and recognition of the sculptural medium should continue to be included in the areas of animation, visual effects, production design, filmmaking, storytelling, and character design. In my own experience, and in recent years, physical hand made prototype sculpture has been disregarded or minimized at times as unnecessary or obsolete to the process of filmmaking/animation/design, since the impact of recent computer technologies have become most prevalent in this industry, among others. Personally, I embrace new technology and evolution in the process. I also have incorporated the use of these modern methods in my own work, but I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel entirely without considering the process that makes it work, regardless of the budget, timeframe, and other production issues. Leaving out this important art form stunts the process and gives weaker results. In the end, though, and in this case, all that really matters is one single stage of the process–the modeling by hand of the sculpture. That is art. All the rest is merely technique. Sculpture: the most enduring and demanding of the visual arts along with painting and drawing are the main foundations of design and the visual arts. I am proud to be a part of this tradition and will continue to be, whether it is in the fine arts, the motion picture industry, or any other sculptural/design application in which my work/services are engaged.”

Damon currently resides in Emeryville, CA where he works and maintains a fully equipped studio, constantly working to hone his skills and evolve his craft.

CTN Member Damon Bard

Kent’s maquettes have recently been featured at the New York Museum of Contemporary Art and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.  He is currently working on a one man show of both sculpture and oil paintings.

The History of the Maquette
Length 45 min
Join Kent Melton,  Ruben Procopio and other maquette sculptors in a relaxed and informal setting while they discuss the history of the maquette.  This discussion will include historical information about the early Disney animation model sculptures, and the pioneering artists that created them. These sculptors will relate their own “personal” sculpting experiences of carrying on this continually evolving Disney tradition as well as share their experiences creating maquettes for many other animation studios. This discussion is intended to be informative, but not too clinical. Both Kent Melton  and Ruben Procopio have experience speaking to large convention audiences separately and I’m sure that together this 45 minute discussion will be a lot of fun for everyone.

Live Demonstration
Kent Melton will be demonstrating live all weekend at CTN-X. Watch how he works to bring his maquette characters to life.

Pascal Campion is an artist working in the fields on animation and illustration living in the bay area.

Opportunities were found and slowly he started building a promising career working as a character designer. Things came to a crashing halt, however, when Chris was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood cancer, on April Fool’s Day in 2005. Thus began one of the toughest journeys of his life: enduring the physical and emotional rigors of treatment and recovery. Though it shook him, dropped him, bounced him, spun him, and quite literally made him nauseous, the cancer rollercoaster finally slowed down. On the one year anniversary of his diagnosis, Chris enlisted the help of two of his lifelong passions—art and animals—and began a sketchbook called The Daily Zoo with the goal of drawing one animal each day for a year. He hoped it would be a nice challenge for his self-discipline and imagination, but more importantly that it would aid his healing process by giving him a focused opportunity to celebrate the gift of each healthy day.

The initial goal of The Daily Zoo was met but proved to be so therapeutic and rewarding that he kept right on drawing. He’s now in Year Five (day fifteen hundred and something) and has had the opportunity to publish two collections of Daily Zoo drawings which additionally feature his reflections on the cancer journey. Chris currently is a freelance character designer (some past clients have included Sony Feature Animation, Rhythm & Hues, Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., and Spectral Motion working on films such as Men in Black II, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Star Trek, and the Alien vs. Predator films). He also teaches Character Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. You can see samples of Chris’ work at www.chrisayersdesign.com and http://chrisayers.blogspot.com.

Like the Mary Poppins’ characters, his dream is now to step into his animated pictures drawn with chalk on the sidewalk by the entrance of the park.

Blue Sky animation studios in Greenwich (CT) were the first to offer him a way into their projects.

The CTN Animation Expo is for Olivier Tossan a unique opportunity to present his work which includes portfolios, postcards and digital prints. Taking part would also mean for him enjoying meeting and getting to know other artists and professionals.

“Think of the happiest thing, it’s the same as having wings”- Peter Pan, 1953 – Walt Disney Production.

Come meet master illustrator Olivier Tossan at CTN-X
CTN Member Olivier Tossan

Join Stuart at CTN-X when he brings his best to Burbank!
Stuart NG RARE ANIMATION BOOKS

CONTACT EMAIL: BrettBean@2dbean.com

LOCATION: Los Angeles

URL: www.2dbean.com
www.2dbean.blogspot.com

He has been in the animation industry since the age of 15 when he began working in his native country Taiwan for various productions for US companies. After graduation from CalArts, he joined Warner Brothers Animation, doing Character Design on “Batman, the Animated Series”. Later he joined Disney Feature Animation, working on animated features like The Legend of Mulan, Tarzan, Atlantis, Home on the Range, Bolt and many others as a character designer and story artist. He has been honored with many awards most notably the prestigious Reuben Award presented by The National Cartoonist Society for his design achievements, and an Annie Award nomination for his story work. He is currently working at DreamWorks as a story artist.

His film credits include:
How to Train Your Dragon
Kung Fu Panda II
The Croods
Monster Coin
Bolt
Joe Jump
Fraidy Cat
Atlantis
The Legend of Mulan
Tarzan

Drawing from the visual worlds of science and nature, the human figure, the grand tradition of American illustration, Japanese scroll paintings and woodblock prints, fantasy illustration, and great artists of Europe, Elliott’s work strikes the viewer at first with a powerful tableau and draws them in to experience the subtlety and beauty within. Beyond the pictorial impact of his work, themes personal to him such as body image, environmental preservation, and social and psychological repression weave themselves throughout his work.

After attending Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, he began illustrating for various clients and started working full time in the animation industry. He has worked primarily for Disney and Dreamworks, designing their animated films such as Hercules, Mulan, The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, Shark Tale, Flushed Away, Bee Movie, and Enchanted, and Princess and the Frog as well as other upcoming features. Craig has also done fully painted comic book and cover artwork for Dark Horse Comics, and has done various Illustration work for many different companies. His work can currently be seen in the books “Treasure Planet a Voyage of Discovery” and “Spectrum 10, 11, 12, 13 & 15 a gold medal in 16, and Silver in 17 the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art”, “The World’s Greatest Erotic Art of Today Vol. 2”, “Erotic Fantasy Art”, “Fantasy art Now 2”, Aphrodisia I and his 3 sketchbooks. Several monograph art books are also in the works.

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Zaruhi Galstian was born in Armenia and is currently living in California ever since her family moved to America when she was six years old. She graduated from the Character Animation program at CalArts in 2009 and started her career at Pixar Animation Studios working as a character design intern on Toy Story 3. She is currently working as a freelance character designer at Disney Toon Studios. Her work can be seen on her blog, www.zaruhigalstianblog.blogspot.com.

During her schooling, she began her games career working on Half-Life 2, and has since designed, modeled and textured environments for projects like Team Fortress 2, and Portal2.

She moonlights as an oil painter, salsa dancer and rides around on her 1973 Raleigh cruiser.
Laura Dubuk: Check out her blog at http://lauradubuk.blogspot.com/

Tabitha Fisher
Tabitha finds adventure through drawing. Currently based in Toronto, she is working as a Designer/ Layout Artist at various downtown studios. On free days, she can be found exploring vast metropolitan settings with her sketchbook in hand!

Lately she has been fascinated with all things urban. On a summer sketchbook expedition to Paris, she plans to document her uniquely Canadian experience while fumbling her way through French.Laura Dubuk and Tabitha Fisher Animation Artists
Tabitha Fisher: Visit her blog at http://tabithadraws.blogspot.com

In Fall 2010 Ed launches his first children’s book Kiki Kokí, the Enchanted Legend of the Coquí Frog. He has self-published through IdeaRworks. In addition to the 44-page picture book, Ed has developed a consumer products line around his new title. To see more visit KikiKoki.com.

Join Ed at CTN-X where in addition to his art, Ed will share his experiences as an artist, creative exec and creator with young talent looking to break in to the business as well as with industry veterans looking to dive into new ventures.

He entered Walt Disney Animation as an assistant Layout artist quickly moving up to Journeyman Layout Artist on the films “The Fox and the Hound”, “The Black Cauldron” short movies development and film clips for Disney theme parks. The next step in his career was to co Art Direct, design and layout for the movie, “The Great Mouse Detective”. Following that Ed decided to leave Disney and explore the world of the “Garfield T.V. Specials” for CBS working with the Film Roman Company supervising layout and art direction for the second through the fifth special. Finishing the Specials his attention returned to Walt Disney Animation only this time it was at their T.V. division starting with Layout Design for the series, “Ducktales” then onto Art Directing and Designing for, “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” during that time he proved himself as a filmmaker and was promoted to Producer/Director for the second and third seasons of the show in which he received an “Emmy” for his efforts.

A new show appeared on the books at Disney and Ed was called upon to Art Direct the Development then move onto Line Producing for the series ”Tailspin”. After the first season was over, Disney Feature animation called upon his talents to return to the feature side and Supervise Layout and Design for the Academy Award nominated movie, “Beauty and the Beast”. Then it was a trip back to television where he Art Directed and Designed “The Little Mermaid” series having finished that he bounced back to Features once again to assist in Supervising Layout and Designer for “The Lion King”. At this point in timed has found his home again at Feature Animation working the next ten years there doing a multitude of assignments as Layout Supervisor and Designer for, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Atlantis”. Other duties were Layout/Workbook for “Mulan and Layout Designer for short pictures and Special Projects. During his tenure at Feature Animation he has been a member of the Review Board/Artistic Leadership to work with management to increase and decrease staff and to train new hirees. The time came again to leave Disney and venture out to other studios working on projects as a designer such as “The Fat Albert Movie”, “Curious George”, “Hellboy (animated)”, “the Simpson’s” T.V. series and movie DisneyToons Development and Tinker Bell 3 and TBS “Neighbors from Hell”.

Ed has many varied interests outside work. Two of them are being an active member in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Creative Talent Network form it’s inception. Away from the film society Ed’s interests include classic cars, woodworking, sculpting, painting and gardening.

Please visit http://drakebrodahl.com for more of Drake’s work.

After attending Sheridan College, Ken Duncan got his start on television commercials and feature films in France, England and Spain. Given his desire to focus on character performance, Ken soon joined Walt Disney Feature Animation where the eight films that he worked on as Animator and Supervising Animator produced some of his most indelible character work, such as “Jane” from Tarzan, “Meg” from Hercules, “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast, and “Jafar” from Aladdin. After Disney, Ken was the Supervising Animator of “Angie” on DreamWorks Animation’s Shark Tale.

Over the course of his career, Ken has been nominated for three ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards for Best Individual Achievement in Character Animation for Hercules, Tarzan, and Shark Tale. The Visual Effects Society also nominated his work on Shark Tale for “Outstanding Performance” and on 9 for “Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture.”

Ken’s commitment to creating memorable characters continues to propel him forward, bringing his love of animation and his knowledge of strong character performances to his innovative production house Duncan Studio.

Duncan Studio, working in both traditional and CGI mediums, provides storyboarding, character design, visual development, and animation services for feature films, commercials, and internet projects. The studio’s client list includes: DreamWorks Animation SKG, The Walt Disney Company, Blue Sky Studios, Focus Features, Alpine Studios, DigiMax, and Walden Media.

His many distinctions include the prestigious Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, a Clio Award for a Nike television commercial, a Spectrum Annual of Fantastic Art gold medal and a Soleil d’Or award from the Festival BD Sollies Ville in France.

He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife, Randall (with whom he recently collaborated on his first children’s book, The Duchess of Whimsy) and their two daughters, Paulina and Fia.

Join Peter de Sève at CTN-X where he will premiere his new book “A Sketchy Past, The Art of Peter de Sève“, a hardcover collection of Peter’s work along with Randall and Peter de Sève’s children’s book “The Duchess of Whimsy” and for a rare one on one interview about his career.

A Spotlight Career Interview with Peter de Sève
Length 20 min
Join CTN-X in welcoming Peter de Sève to the round table for a one on one interview about his remarkable career.  After the interview Peter and his audience will retreat to the “Shop Talk” lounge to carry on the conversation and Q+A.

Live Demonstration
Peter de Sève will be demonstrating live at CTN-X. Watch how he works and see the decisions he makes while creating his characters and art.

http://peterdeseve.blogspot.com/

www.peterdeseve.com

For time and date please refer to CTN-X Schedule Overview….click here. (Schedule subject to change.)

Besides digital film projects, Patrick also swings a couple of traditional brushes on his personal paintings, some of which can be seen on his blog:

http://www.patrickawa.net/

Carol began work on the Ralph Bakshi Animated Feature Lord of the Rings. She was solely responsible for the styling, layout, and background painting of five specialty sequences of the movie. She was also invited to be on the faculty of Art Center, where she taught Figure Drawing and Fashion Illustration for the next four years. After the completion of Lord of the Rings, she began work with Richard Williams helping build his then, new Hollywood studio. For the next three years she worked between Art Babbit and Richard on many animated television commercials as Designer, Stylist, Animator, Effects Artist, Director, Art Director, and Background Painter: receiving an American Broadcasters Assn. Award and inclusion in FILMEX. She also worked with Glen Fleck, Inc. as a color consultant on projects for IBM, and continued actively in her freelance advertising and fashion illustration business.

Carol supervised the background department for the 3-D animated feature Starchaser. She trained artists for production, in addition to keying sequences and spending time in Korea training a large crew to paint. She then joined Marvel productions after the birth of her second daughter as a Key Layout and Development artist for a variety of TV and feature projects. She left Marvel to work with TMS productions as a Development Artist on the feature Little Nemo with Brian Froud and Corney Cole. Shortly after Nemo, Carol began work with Disney Television Animation. She used her skills as a Stylist, Painter and Color Key, Art Director, Development and Photoshop Artist on Television, Direct to Video, and Theatrical Releases. Carol also freelanced on theme park designs for Universal and Landmark Productions.

Warner Bros. then recruited Carol to help them start their new feature animation division, where she recruited artists stateside and in England and she helped develop training programs for incoming artists. She acted as Key Art Director for Development and Presentation and Art Director for their first feature Quest for Camelot (overseeing all production and character design, merchandising, maquette building,). Carol was a Location Development artist on the Dreamworks CGI feature, Shrek. , and taught at California Institute of the Arts. She joined Disney Feature Animation where she developed the movie Sweating Bullets with directors Mike Gabriel and Michael Giamo, and finished the production design and layout styling for Home on the Range. She developed character and costume design, as well as location and color styling on The Snow Queen for Disney Feature Animation. Recently she finished Art Directing Disney’s Bambi II, which greatly exceeded studio expectations on every level.

Currently Carol is consulting and overseeing art direction on the new Disney franchise DVD Tinkerbell and the upcoming Fairies Trilogy through Made in Paradise Productions as well as a sequel of Babe for Universal Studios.

Website: http://www.madeinparadiseprod.com

Pao (AKA Thitipong Jitmakusol) is a multi-skilled digital artist born in Bangkok, Thailand.

Growing up in a wholesale paper factory initiated him into the world of arts and creativity.

Pao’s works have received numerous recognition in Thailand and internationally. He has worked as a character artist at Electronic Arts and as a Digital Artist at Digital Domain in Venice, California. He was involved in projects like the Transformers films, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Speed Racer, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Halo 3 (CG commercial) and The Sims 2.

Besides the development of personal projects they regularly collaborate on the advertising area or creating title credits for feature film (as the French blockbuster “Gainsbourg: une vie heroique”) and develop scripts for other companies such as “Feathers united” for the Spanish company Sixbirds.

Headless Productions is three characters, a single mind… no head at all. They have been working together on animated features for quite a while; they even convinced someone to let them spend a few years directing their own feature film. But even after that, they are still itching to make new stuff. Quality animation, fresh design, no holds barred creativity. The Headless team is just looking forward to blowing some minds…and heads! CTN is proud to present the team from Headless Productions at CTNX 2010.

ADRIAN GARCIA & VICTOR MALDONADO
Started their carrier in Barcelona in 1998 as character designers for at D´Ocon Films productions where for a couple of years they developed different TV shows. Right after opened their own services studio “Mad Hatter Studios” where they worked for companies as B.R.B or Cromosoma doing storyboards and design. After that moved to Filmax Productions where they stayed for a long period moving into the art direction for several feature film projects such as “EL CID: the legend” (winner of several prizes in 2004 and, at the moment, the highest animation box office for an Spanish production). After that they made their directorial debut with the feature film “Nocturna” that they also wrote and design. The movie won the Goya to best animation movie in 2007 and was selected at festivals such as Venice and Toronto. In 2008 along with Alfredo Torres they created Headless Studio.

ALFREDO TORRES
In 2000 started his professional trajectory specialized on the Layout and Background field. Work in several productions for Toon Factory till he became in 2001 one of the lead background artists for the feature film “EL CID: the legend”, alternating that with some work as an animator. In 2005 he moved to Barcelona and started working for Filmax Animation for the production “Nocturna” first as a creative background designer to move into storyboard and finally becoming one of the art designers and first assistant director. In 2008 became main partner on Headless Production.

Headless Studio Reel

Headless studio reel 2010 from Headless Productions on Vimeo.

This gave Pablo a complete understanding of the whole animation process, a powerful tool that you can see in his work.

Pablo’s approaches animation from two different sides, one very technical, where all the principles come together to help in the creation of movement, and another that involves acting and psychology. Like Pablo says “we have to manipulate the minds of the viewer to make them feel what we want them to feel”.

He has worked in a great number of feature films, mostly within Europe, as a Senior character Animator, and Animation Director. The most relevant are El Cid the Legend, Nocturna, Asterix and the Vikings, Planet 51, Donkey-xote between many others.

He has worked also in countless commercials and short films. Lately he had the pleasure in participate in an Animation book, titled Animation Insiders, he was invited to share his knowledge about animation processes and workflow, along with 12 of the most talented animators in nowadays.

Besides all this, Pablo is developing an animation feature film project of his own, from an original idea created by him. His current position is Animation Director for Filmax Animation upcoming project “Copito de Nieve” Snowflake the white gorilla.

http://pablonavarro.wordpress.com/

Soon after, Mark started his career in earnest at the Wyatt Cattaneo Animation Studio in London overseeing the commercial campaigns of the company’s largest European brand names, including Tetley Tea Bags, Ribena and the Swiss Bank Corporation.

In 1993 Mark moved to LucasFilm’s Industrial Light and Magic to work on Steven
Spielberg’s “Casper” and then given charge of the creature animation for the first “Star Wars” Special Edition. Mark soon moved on to Walt Disney Feature Animation as a supervising animator on such projects as “Dinosaur,” “Treasure Planet,” Disney World’s 3D attraction: “Mickey’s Philharmagic,” followed by “Chicken Little” and then “Bolt.”

Mark is currently working at The 3rd Floor Studios as a pre-visualization artist working closely with such directors as Peter Berg (“Battleship”), Rob Cohen (“Medieval”), Guy Ritchie (“Lobo”) and Marcus Nispel (“Conan”). He is also currently in development at Renaissance Millennium Pictures on the upcoming animated television series “Polar Paradise” which he is directing and co-producing.

Designed around a principle of circularity, the menus in ZBrush work together in a non-linear and mode-free method. This facilitates the interaction of 3D models, 2D images and 2.5D Pixols in new and unique ways.

Eric “The Gute” Gonzalez has worked as a designer at Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Fox and Oddbot Inc. He has worked on such shows as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Class of 3000, El Tigre and Playhouse Disney’s Tasty Time With ZeFronk. Eric G. is the creator of the Muertoons book Rosita Y Conchita, as well as the story illustrator and provided the Spanish text.

Erich Haeger is the creator of the graphic novel anthology series, Hard Ei8ht. Erich H. first met Eric G. at Cal State Fullerton where they collaborated on several projects and countless bouts of tomfoolery. After college they worked together on both volumes of Hard Ei8ht and worked together at Oddbot Inc. on the Playhouse Disney show, Tasty Time with ZeFronk. At Muertoons, Erich H. contributed the English text for the book Rosita Y Conchita, as well as some additional artwork.

A graduate of Sheridan College’s Class of 08, he has always had a love and appreciation for art and design ranging from doodles to architectual design.
His career goals are simple, to work with other passionate artist.

Thus far he has been blessed to work along side some of Toronto’s super talents from studios such as Chuck Gammage, House of Cool and growing studio called Full Circle.

He is grateful for the oppurtunity to be apart of CTNX this coming November.

Professional Summary
I specialize in character design .
Positions Held
Graphic Designer/Illustrator
Character Designer
Animator

Clients
House of Cool
Smoke and Mirrors
Ganz
Chuck Gammage Animation
Cookie Jar

Skills
Character Designer
Visual Development
Classical Animator

Computer Software
Photoshop
Flash
After Effects
TV/Short Film Credits
“Ninjamaica” (character designer)

Website: http://www.studiotectona.com/

Short Film

Mr. Crum – Final Realisation from Andre Barnwell on Vimeo.

Armand graduated with a Civil Engineering degree at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Upon learning that Hanna-Barbera started a studio in town, he left his barely started practice and joined the studio to begin a new career in animation. He got involved in the production of such TV shows like The Addams Family, Fender Benders, Yogi Bear, Pirates of Dark Water, The New Adventures of Johnny Quest and Captain Planet and the Planeteers to name a few. He then moved to Philippine Animation Studio to supervise layout on Marvel TV shows X-Men, Fantastic Four and Biker Mice From Mars.

In 1996, Armand relocated to Burbank, California but soon got hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios to work on Mulan and join their Orlando, Florida studio. His film credits for Disney include Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. Then in 2004, Armand moved back to Los Angeles to do visual development and principal locations design for the newly formed Sony Pictures Animation. His film credits for Sony include Surf’s Up, Open Season 2, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Arthur Christmas and Hotel T.
Website: www.armandserrano.com

Soon after, he began collaborating with Ron Clements, another Disney animator, and the two provided additional story material for The Black Cauldron (1985). In 1986, along with other collaborators, they wrote and directed The Great Mouse Detective (1986), based on a short Clements had made earlier.

Clements and Musker next co-directed The Little Mermaid (1989), based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. The award-winning movie was a huge hit for Disney, and the team next wrote, directed and produced Aladdin (1992), another enormous success for the studio that went on to become one of the most popular animated films of all time. It was nominated for many awards, including several Oscars® and even won a couple, for Best Music and Best Song.

Their next project was Hercules (1997), which they directed, wrote and produced, and although it wasn’t as big a hit as their previous films, they won an Annie award together for “Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production.”

The Art Institutes schools faculty members are not only skilled instructors, but also trained professionals in their fields. Many faculty members have extensive industry experience, in addition to standard academic qualifications.

The Art Institutes operate in Arlington, VA; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Brookline (Boston), MA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Dallas, TX; Decatur, GA; Denver, CO; Novi (Detroit), MI (Detroit);  Durham, NC; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX (two locations); Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Lenexa (Kansas City), KS; Henderson (Las Vegas), NV; Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA; Santa Anna (Orange County), CA; Santa Monica (Los Angeles), CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Draper (Salt Lake City), UT; San Bernardino, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Schaumburg, IL; Seattle, WA; Sterling, VA; Sunnyvale, CA; Tampa, FL; Tucson, AZ; Burnaby (Vancouver), BC; and York, PA.

The Art Institutes schools offer a broad range of programs including Audio Production, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography, Restaurant Management and Video Production. Not all programs are offered at all schools. The Art Institutes schools work closely with employers to design programs that meet specific industry needs.

The parent company of The Art Institutes, Education Management LLC (http://www.edmc.com), with more than 110,800 students (as of October 2008), is among the largest providers of post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue, with a total of 92 locations in 28 U.S. states and Canada. Education Management’s educational institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology, legal studies and business fields, culminating in the award of associate’s through doctoral degrees. Education Management has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years.
Help us welcome Art Institute Hollywood to CTN-X 2009. Register Now http://www.regonline.com/ctnanimationexpo2009

After co-creating the series pilot Creepwood for Warner’s On-line, directing commercials, and developing a feature project for Warner’s Feature, Mike directed and storyboarded the Lilo and Stitch short for Disney called The Origin of Stitch.

The short was well enough received that Mike moved to Disney Toons Studios to develop a series of direct-to-video films based on the classic Snow White film. Mike left the project after a creative disagreement about Dopey speaking and soon after the project was cancelled.

Mike spent a year working on Rob Zombie’s El SuperBeasto before moving on to direct Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs Evil, the CG feature film follow-up to the 2006 hit Hoodwinked for Kanbar Ent/The Weinstein Company.

Since that film wrapped in March of 2009, Mike has directed the feature length animated adaptation of EA’s Dante’s Inferno and is presently directing another R-rated feature length project that will be announced at this year’s Comic Con.

Mike Disa on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1918538/

The BAEF raises money throughout the year, and provides grants twice a year to the District, Principals, Teachers, Arts Coordinators, PTA groups, and others that have applied for funding for programs that will further the implementation of the Burbank Arts for All Strategic Plan, which you can download here. The Foundation raises funds by soliciting direct donations from parents of Burbank students, Burbank businesses, the general Burbank community, and from the City of Burbank. Our main fundraising event is the fall Downtown Arts Festival (which the Foundation will co-sponsor for the first time in 2007), which draws more than 30,000 residents to the Downtown area. For more information, see the Events page.

Website:

http://theburbankartsed.org

Helping you learn, master, and apply digital tools and techniques.

Website:

http://www.lynda.com

He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Argentine immigrant parents. In 1976 his family moved to Southern California, where his father started an auto repair shop.  Marcelo graduated from West Covina high school in 1983, and that same year began his formal art education at Otis Art Institute of Parson’s School of Design.

Marcelo began working as a commercial artist in 1985 doing black and white illustrations for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate; his illustrations were featured in 56 newspapers across the United States. Two years later Marcelo embarked on a career in television animation, as a storyboard clean up artist and character designer.

In 1989 Marcelo would establish a relationship with the Walt Disney Company that would span well over a decade, both in feature animated films and theme park design. During which, some of that time he was working as a freelancer while living in St. George, Utah.

In 2003, Marcelo Vignali returned to Southern California to join the creative team at Sony Picture Animation. Since then he has worked on a variety of Sony projects. In addition to Surf’s Up, Marcelo has also worked on Open Season (2006), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), and Hotel Transylvania.

For over 25 years Marcelo Vignali has carved out a name for himself in various industries, from commercial illustration, television animation, computer gaming, theme park design to feature animation — from Disney’s Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, to Surf’s up, to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs — enjoying the reputation of being one of the entertainment industry’s top talents.

Marcelo currently resides in Los Angeles, California, and is working on Sony Pictures Animation’s latest animated picture, Hotel Transylvania.

Join Marcelo at CTN-X 2009
CTN Member Marcelo Vignali

Our mission is to transform South Los Angeles into a stable, economically vibrant community by providing first-rate educational opportunities and by annually graduating 2,000 high school students.

Website: http://www.icefla.org

Currently, Nicolás works as a freelance designer and teaches for the Animation Department at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  He he lives in San Francisco, California., where aside from drawing and painting he also enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his friends.

Website:
http://wia.animationblogspot.com/

The full name of the organization is The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress.

Website:

http://www.animationguild.org

Website:
http://www.theflip.com

Cold Hard Flash was recently listed in Animation Magazine’s 13 People, Platforms and Trends That Our Reshaping Our World.

Your input to Cold Hard Flash is invaluable, and story ideas are often generated from emails and comments we have received on the site. Please forward any thoughts to the team from the contact page.

Cold Hard Flash is maintained by industry professionals, and we are in no way affiliated or officially connected with any studio, company or organization. Original content ©2004-2008 Cold Hard Flash. All other copyrights belong to their respective owners. In no case does Cold Hard Flash make any explicit or implicit claim to any of these rights.

Website:
http://coldhardflash.com/

Two years ago, a group of Southern California educators formed an Animation Educator’s Forum in order to begin a dialogue and share information with all those who teach animation. Thanks to the generous support of ASIFA/Hollywood, the AEF has created a successful Student Film Festival, a retrospective of educators personal films entitled “ Those Who Teach- Do!”, and will soon launch a new interactive website to suit the needs of animation instructors.

The Animation Educator’s Forum is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of animation through education. Our members, with their diverse backgrounds in both the animation and educational fields, are focused on extending their knowledge and experience to others within the burgeoning animation community, worldwide.

The AEF has begun a dialogue, communicating communicated with many instructors across the USA, and now is reaching out beyond our borders. Teachers from Toronto to Singapore have expressed interest. All who are engaged in this unique form of instruction need not toil alone. We are welcoming new ideas and new members and look forward to lively, inspired and valuable communication going forward!

Website:
http://www.animationeducatorsforum.org

Website:
http://anim.usc.edu/

Facilities
Modernization of Providencia Elementary and Monterey High school sites is on schedule
for completion early 2010. The BHS Athletic Field Renovation Project will be completed
by September 2009. The renovation of Memorial Field at JBHS is scheduled for completion mid-2010.

Website:
http://www.burbank.k12.ca.us

Website:
http://www.rhythm.com

Website:
http://www.pixar.com

Website:
http://www.nick.com/

Website:
http://www.imaginismstudios.com

When STARZ opened its animation division, Debra was brought in as Head of Recruiting for studios in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. Currently Debra heads Fringe Talent, an entertainment recruitment firm whose recruiting initiatives include A Christmas Carol; The Tale of Despereaux; 2012; Astro Boy, Ice Age 3 and The Wild Bunch.

With a team of recruiters that includes Phillip Williams, who recent recruiting credits include, The Simpsons Movie, Shane Acker’s ‘9’ and Gnomeo & Juliet for STARZ Animation and Pointy Hat Productions/Miramax Films, Fringe Talent offers world class recruiting designed to meet the constantly evolving staffing demands of modern production.

Website:
http://www.fringetalent.com

Website:
http://www.digitaldomain.com/

Throughout our history, we at Blue Sky Studios have maintained a single-minded focus on creating high quality imagery, while upholding the highest production standards. Not only do we boast some of the industry’s most creative animation talent, its proprietary software, CGI Studio™, is considered the best renderer in the business.

CGI Studio is based on the concept of raytracing and simulates the way light behaves on objects and surfaces in a natural environment. The software incorporates an object-oriented graphics programming language rather than a closed menu-driven package. It also builds images through the use of the most advanced geometric models available, giving it a significant advantage over rendering systems built around polygons. Because of CGI Studio’s capabilities, we’re famous for integrating live-action and computer-generated animation, composited during the final rendering stage into seamless first generation images.

Some of our credits include the 1998 Oscar® Award winning short film Bunny, which was the first film to use an advanced ambient lighting technology known as radiosity, and set new standards in cinematic storytelling for the computer-animation industry. The film has won more than 25 international awards for animation excellence.

Next came our all-CGI feature, Ice Age. The film, directed by Academy Award-winner Chris Wedge, made a record breaking debut in the domestic marketplace with its release on March 15, 2002. Ice Age continues its extraordinary momentum in the international markets around the world.

The studio has also completed work for Fight Club (1999, Fox 2000), several alien creatures for Star Trek: Insurrection (1998, Paramount), the monsters of Alien Resurrection (1997, 20th Century Fox), numerous characters and special effects for A Simple Wish (1997, Bubble Factory/Universal Pictures), the final ‘Genesis’ sequence in Titan A.E., and a host of dancing, singing cockroaches for the MTV cult classic Joe’s Apartment (1996, Geffen Films, Warner Bros.). The studio has also animated numerous commercials and created an instant hit with the ‘talking fish’ animation for the 1999 season finale of HBO’s The Sopranos.

Website:
http://www.blueskystudios.com

In the beginning, the land occupied by the present City was part of two large Spanish land grants. The first was the vast Rancho San Rafael, granted to Don Jose Maria Verdugo by the Spanish government in 1798. Nearby Rancho La Providencia was created following Mexico’s successful bid for independence from Spain in 1821.

The real history of the city, though, began when a New Hampshire dentist headed west with the thousands of Americans seeking new opportunities. This was at a time when men like Isaac Lankershim and Isaac Van Nuys were changing the face of the San Fernando Valley.

Website:
http://www.ci.burbank.ca.us/

Marriott Lodging

Marriott operates or franchises hotels, resorts, executive accommodations and suites worldwide, translating into approximately 515,000 rooms and more than 11,000 vacation ownership villas. Our portfolio of brands includes:

Full Service

Marriott Hotels & Resorts >> The most trusted name in hotels, this longstanding Marriott brand is renowned for its “spirit to serve,” consistent quality and genuine care for business, leisure or group events. Renaissance Hotels & Resorts >> This upscale brand is applauded for its distinctive decors, imaginative dining and attentive service in superb destinations around the world. Marriott Conference Centers >> State-of-the-art facilities combine with superior Marriott lodging, serving small- to mid-sized conferences and meetings.

Select Service

Courtyard by Marriott >> Designed by business travelers, this leading Marriott brand offers the essential services and amenities for business travelers to stay productive on the road. Fairfield Inn by Marriott >> This moderately priced hotel focuses on bright, fresh accommodations and award-winning hospitality. SpringHill Suites >> With its fresh new concept and plugged-in attitude, this all-suite brand in the upper-moderate tier offers up to 25% more space than comparable hotel rooms.

Extended Stay

TownePlace Suites >> Marriott’s mid-priced, extended-stay brand answers the needs of practical travelers seeking homelike services and amenities. Residence Inn by Marriott >> As the leading extended-stay chain in the world, guests enjoy a “home away from home” featuring full kitchens and complimentary breakfast.

Corporate Apartments

Marriott ExecuStay Fully furnished corporate housing for executives and guests makes this Marriott lodging ideal when temporary accommodations are needed for a month or longer. Marriott Executive Apartments >> Upscale accommodations designed to meet the needs of executives planning to stay in an urban, overseas destination for 30 days or more.

Vacation Ownership

Marriott Vacation Club A recognized leader in the vacation ownership industry, families around the globe own their vacations “the Marriott way” through a program that is well regarded for its quality management and unique flexibility. Grand Residences by Marriott Grand Residences by Marriottprovides innovative second home options through fractional real estate offerings and select private ownership opportunities. The Ritz-Carlton Club A deeded, fractional ownership real estate offering combining the benefits of second home ownership with personalized Ritz-Carlton services and amenities.

Partner Brand

The Ritz-Carlton Recognized worldwide as a leader known for its elegant and luxurious accommodations, along with superb service.

Who has the time to search all over the Internet to find the information you need in a timely fashion? Imagine a unifying environment designed to bring together all available information about the international world of animation, expertly linked, displayed and easily accessible to anyone?

AWN’s comprehensive and targeted coverage of the international animation community has made it the leading source of animation industry news in the world. Hundreds of thousands of animation professionals, educators, broadcasters, students and enthusiasts stay in touch with AWN to get the facts, figures, features and in-depth coverage they can’t get anywhere else. AWN’s intuitive categorization allows readers to find the areas of animation they want easily and fast. The site is both the perfect place for the busy professional to catch up on the latest news and buzz, and the perfect place for those looking for in-depth coverage that they cannot find anywhere else.

Through the Animation World Network, people worldwide have a single source for a vast array of information pertaining to all facets of the animation industry. From studios to independent animators, from broadcasters to cartoon enthusiasts, from hardware manufacturers to consumers, the Animation World Network has something for everybody.

Website:
http://www.awn.com

Website:
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/

They just wrapped their first adult-comedy pilot: An Okay Place To Eat, starring your favorite drill sergeant R.Lee Ermey, voice over legend Jim Cummings, 30 Rock funny man Scott Adsit, and the ever hilarious Jason Marsden. Okay Place animators include Jon Henshaw, Deke Wightman, Andrew Wilson (all from Harvey Birdman), and Chris Paluszek (Robot Chicken, Titan Maximum, Frankenhole). They’re also working on their second animated pilot, Zombie Murder Explosion Die, which, well, needs no other explanation!

For more info on the crazy people behind Sonic Bunny: www.SonicBunnyProductions.com

Title: The Broad Appeal of Animation
Sponsored by The Creative Talent Network
CTNX09: Filmed Nov 2009; Posted May 2010
Length 45 min

The number of females working in the animation industry has dramatically increased in the past quarter century. What began mostly as a male-dominated profession has evolved into an arena full of women  animators, directors, story artists, designers and filmmakers . Together for the first time in over 10 years, join these veteran female colleagues who between them have over 30 animation feature film credits in this rare opportunity as they share both their insider views and experiences of working and having careers in the animation industry from “their perspective”. These “Broads of Animation are the “BEST” in the business.

Moderator Frank Gladstone

Frank Gladstone has been working as a professional animator, producer, director, writer and teacher for nearly 35 years. From 1973 to 1989, he managed his own Emmy award-winning studio, Persistence of Vision, producing commercials and educational films, and has since held management positions for Disney, Warner Brothers and DreamWorks, among others. Some of his feature film credits include the DreamWorks productions of THE ROAD TO ELDORADO, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, and SHARK TALE. Prior to his tenure at DreamWorks, Mr. Gladstone was a producer at Warner Bros. Feature Animation and manager of training at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he was instrumental at recruiting and setting up training programs for Disney’s Orlando and Paris studios. While there, he worked with the production teams on RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING, POCAHONTAS and MULAN. Additionally, Mr. Gladstone has been actively involved in bringing independent animated projects such as MILLENNIUM ACTRESS and GHOST IN THE SHELL II: INNOCENCE to North American audiences. Frank’s most recent credit is IDT Entertainment’s feature, EVERYONE’S HERO.

Frank is currently the CEO of his own company, Gladstone Film, Inc., producing and directing animated projects, consulting on animation processes, filmmaking skills and story structure at major studios worldwide. Additionally, Frank continues to teach about animation, film history, production techniques and cinematic fundamentals at secondary schools, colleges and professional guilds across North America, in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

Panelist Brenda Chapman Animation Director

A native of the state of Illinois, Chapman studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). During her summer breaks, she began her professional career working in syndicated television animation. After graduating with a BFA in character animation, she was a story trainee on Disney’s animated film The Little Mermaid. She was one of several key story artists on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, where she worked closely with future Disney director Roger Allers to define many of the key sequences and motifs used in the film. She later served as head of story for the Disney animated feature film, The Lion King, overseeing both the writers and the artists on the project. The Lion King is unique in Disney Animation history in that it is the only major animated feature produced by the studio that was not based on a previously extant story (i.e., it was conceived and developed entirely by the Disney Feature Animation team).
Chapman also worked in story and development for other Disney animated films such as The Rescuers Down Under and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She joined DreamWorks Animation at its inception in the fall of 1994, and is now working at Pixar.
She also worked on Dennis the Menace, The Real Ghostbusters, Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling, the second season of Heathcliff, Chicken Run, Cars and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Chapman was one of a team of three directors who worked on 1998’s The Prince of Egypt, along with Steve Hickner and Simon Wells. She became the first woman to land a directing role in an animated feature by a major studio;[1] three others had helmed independent efforts before her (Lotte Reiniger of The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Joy Batchelor of Animal Farm, and Arna Selznick of The Care Bears Movie).[1][2]
She is currently directing Brave for Pixar Animation Studios, which is due for release in 2012

Panelist Sue Nichols Visual Development and Story Artist

“For years, Sue Nichols has been one of the best vis dev and storyboard people in the business, having helped to create some of Disney’s greatest animated motion pictures of the 1990s…” – Allan Neuwirth, “Makin’ Toons”. Sue is currently freelancing story and design work.

Positions Held Director, Art Director, Production Stylist, Model Supervisor, Head of Story, Story, Consultant / Instructor, Story Illustrator / Writer, Visual Development Artist, Character Designer, Design Teacher / Lecturer, Costume Designer, Interior Designer, Merchandise Designer.

Clients Marvel Productions, Mike Joens Productions, TMS, Turner Feature Animation, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Television, Universal, Disneytoons, Disney Productions (Live Action), Canum Entertainment, Kid’s Clubhouse.

Skills Sue is known most for being able to create or imitate any design style, break it down, and teach it to production artists. story developer, writer, illustrator, designer, character designer, merchandise designer, consultant, and teacher

Books Published “Disney’s Aladdin The Making of an Animated Film”, “The Art of The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “The Art of Hercules”, “The Art of Hercules” Collector’s Edition

Panelsit Kathy Zielinksi Animator

KATHY ZIELINSKI has over 21 animated feature screen credits behind her Kathy is one of a very elite group of award winning women animators in this industry. Currently at Dreamworks for over 10 years she just finished animating on Monsters vs Aliens. A Cal Arts Alumni Kathy started her career at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1981 on the Black Cauldron. Her long list of credits include bringing such characters to life as Ursula in “The Little Mermaid” and notably as Supervising Animator and designer of “Frollo” in “Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

Credits Include:

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) (animator)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) (animator)
Bee Movie (2007) (animator)
Flushed Away (2006) (animator)
Over the Hedge (2006) (animator)
Madagascar (2005) (character development)
Shark Tale (2004) (animator)
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) (animator: “Marina”)
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) (animator: “Spirit”)
The Road to El Dorado (2000) (supervising animator: “Tzekel-Kan”)
The Prince of Egypt (1998) (additional animator)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) (supervising animator: “Frollo”)
Pocahontas (1995) (character designer)
Aladdin (1992) (animator: “Jafar as Beggar/Snake”)
FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (character designer) (leading character animator: “Hexxus”)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990) (supervising animator)
The Little Mermaid (1989) (character animator)
Oliver & Company (1988) (character animator)
The Great Mouse Detective (1986) (character animator)
The Black Cauldron (1985) (additional animator)
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) (animator)

Animation Mentor delivers a much more personal and interactive learning experience than other online education programs by pairing students up with professional animators and giving them access to highly interactive communication tools. Some primary features are:

•    Focus on character animation
•    Online mentor/apprentice teaching model
•    High level of interactivity with mentors and other students
•    Networking opportunities through the online community
•    Innovative use of production-style tools and technology
•    Web 2.0 proprietary tools such as eCritiques®, and live Question & Answer sessions
•    Personal support
•    Caring environment

Founders: Bobby Beck, CEO/President/cofounder; Shawn Kelly, cofounder; Carlos Baena, cofounder
Mission: To provide the most personal and fulfilling learning experience on the planet!

Students
1,500-plus undergraduate and graduate students
94 percent of students receive financial aid

Woodbury’s mix of students mirrors the remarkable diversity of Southern California. This combination of cultures, languages and outlooks on life makes for an energetic, exciting campus.

LAAFA is breaking new ground in fundamental artistic training, with a program rooted in classical traditions while addressing progressive conceptual ideas of the contemporary scene. Our B.F.A Degree and Certificate Programs prepare students to pursue careers in Fine Art, Illustration and Entertainment Arts.

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
- Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862, American Essayist, Poet, Naturalist

Join Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art at CTN-X and learn what it takes to be GREAT!!

http://www.laafa.org

For more info about Martin and his artwork, please visit his website- www.martinhsu.com

Eduardo has worked on the following projects:  ‘The Dark Years’ (Chuck Gammage Animation), ‘Cyberchase’ and ‘Bob and Doug’ (Pip Animation) and most recently ‘Ugly Americans’ (Cuppa Coffee Studios).   Besides being an animator, Eduardo equally enjoys designing and painting, some of which can be seen on his blog Http://edo27.blogspot.com, which he shamefully admits to not updating as much as he should.

Please say hi and stop by his table which he will be sharing with friend and talented artist Lettie Lo.

As a little girl Lettie aspired to be rich and do nothing at all, until a day when her art was posted on the wall with a big bright A. It was decided, she will make drawings as a living. Since then she has doodled on anything from dim sum napkins to math text books; Lettie went on to complete her BAA Animation degree at Sheridan  College. Inspired by animals, flea markets, milk tea and her friends, one day she will travel around the world to collect cute things and eat different kinds of junk food.

You can visit her many doodles on her blog: http://lettielo.blogspot.com
Come say hi at her table where she will be sharing with her friend and talented artist Eduardo Avenir II.

Founded in 1986, the print magazine is published every month in USA, and features articles on current animated movies and short animated films, animated television series, visual effects from big productions, interactive design of titles and software releases from different studios inside and out of USA and independent producers. Editorial covers all forms of animation; 2D animation, 3D for animation and visual effects, or stop-motion, and the profiles of the artists behind the productions. The Digital version of the print editions was created in 2006 on its website.

Please join  Animation Magazine at CTN-X:

Co-Hosting  Friday Night Networking Party
Hosting a Panel Discussion (TBD) Moderated by Ramin Zahed
Exhibitor  featuring their latest magazine edition and industry book.

Upon being allowed into the order of animation artists, Lubomir’s waking time has been spent contemplating the matrix of reality and working on various animation projects. He has worked as a character and location designer on productions for C.O.R.E, House Of Cool Studios, Red Rover, RealFX, Duncan Studio, Starz Animation and others.

A volume of his collected works in addition to fine quality prints will be available at the CTN Expo.

www.lubomirarsov.com

The company’s cornerstone solution, CINEMA 4D, is one of the fastest growing and most widely used 3D products for digital content creation in the industry. CINEMA 4D’s core application contains everything needed to quickly and easily create high-end 3D images and animations. CINEMA 4D renders scene files directly to popular editing and compositing applications including After Effects, Final Cut, Shake, Combustion, etc.

BodyPaint 3D, an industry first, enables real-time 3D painting and gives the user the ability to see results instantaneously. Plug-ins to 3ds max, Maya, XSI and LightWave 3D ensure easy exchange of models, textures and UVs.

MAXON products are actively used at leading film, post production and broadcast facilities including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rhythm and Hues, Digital Domain, Disney, Framestore CFC, Imaginary Forces and Fox Television.

An Organic Approach to Special Effects Animation

Joseph Gilland is an animation director, special effects animator, journalist, author and musician. His most recent book ‘Elemental Magic – The Art of Special Effects Animation’, has quickly become a sensation in the global animation community, bringing to print for the first time the magic behind the visual effects animation that has dazzled animation audiences since the 1930’s. Joseph’s approach to the animation process focuses not only on technical know how, but also reveals the raw energy underlying all great animation works. With passion, emotion and a vast amount of practical experience, Gilland introduces the reader to a fluid organic process of discovery and interactive experimentation that breathes new life into a fine art form that many believe to be a highly technical and tedious affair. While writing and illustrating Elemental Magic over the last four years, Joseph began bringing his vision to a workshop series entitled ‘An Organic Approach to Special Effects Animation’. The workshops and his book evolved together, feeding off of each other and resulting in a book that not only contains Joseph’s deep expertise on the subject, but also reflects the feedback of animation artists and students from around the world.

In his long and storied animation career, Joseph has utilized his traditional and digital animation talents at such studios as Walt Disney Feature Animation, Don Bluth Animation, and the National Film Board of Canada. At Walt Disney Feature Animation, Joseph served as Supervisor of Visual Effects for the Disney classics Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear. Joseph also served as Head of Florida Special Effects Unit for the features Kingdom of the Sun, and Tarzan, and was Special Effects Animator on such notable titles as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, James and the Giant Peach, Hercules and Mulan. His broad experience also includes animating on several short film projects at the National Film Board of Canada, and directing dozens of television commercials as an independent director. From 2003 to 2005, Joseph headed up the world renowned animation program at the Vancouver Film School.

Joseph is currently at work on an independent short film and is writing a follow up volume to ‘Elemental Magic’ that will delve deeper into special effects and also include a DVD with real time step by step ‘how-to’ footage, and clips from live workshops.

Title: An Animation Career Snapshot
Sponsored by Animation Mentor
CTNX09: Filmed Nov 2009; Posted May 2010
Length 45 min
Join Animation Mentor and guests at CTN-X for a conversation about “An Animation Career Snapshot”. Panel Description: Just as the animation industry is constantly evolving, so does your career in animation!

AnimationMentor.com has gathered top animators in all areas of the field; from Animation Directors & Supervisors to Jr. Animators, to discuss the differences in their day-to-day jobs.  Listen as they discuss and demonstrate the challenges that they each face in their respective positions and how they approached those challenges on 2008/2009’s biggest animation projects!  The panel discussion will also allow attendees to hear each panelist discuss and debate the pros and cons of their positions.  At the end of the discussion, the panelists will move to a more intimate setting to carry on the conversation and answer questions from the audience.

Moderator Tenny Chonin Director of Artist and Professional Development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Tenny Chonin combined her teaching and artistic experience to develop programs designed to enrich the creative lives of the Disney artists.

Tenny led the department that conceived and produced all training and enrichment activities for the feature animation division.
Her group provided cross-training, new software training, daily art classes, workshops, seminars, production-specific events,
mentoring and much more. Tenny had the pleasure of working closely with Disney’s studio artists and trainees, apprentices and new hires.  No wonder she proclaims that she had “the best job at Disney Animation.”

Tenny is currently consulting on projects that further the education of animators in film and television.

Motivated by her deep and continuing respect for the artists, Tenny has also created the first online art gallery exclusively representing non-Disney art by Disney artists. SUSPENDED ANIMATION GALLERY

Panelist Eric Goldberg Walt Disney Animation Studios Eric is an animator and film director who is currently the supervising animator of the character “Louis” for Disney’s upcoming 2D feature The Princess and the Frog.

Creator of Aladdin’s Genie, he was the supervising animator of Phil in Hercules and co-director of Pocahontas.

Goldberg is also the author of the book Character Animation Crash Course! and a lecturer for Animation Mentor.

Panelist Kira Lehtomaki Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kira graduated from AnimationMentor.com in winter 2007.

After graduating, she took an apprenticeship at Rhythm & Hues where she animated scenes on Alvin & the Chipmunks.

Shortly after, she became an animation trainee at Walt Disney Animation Studios where she was mentored for six months and was hired to animate on Bolt.

Kira is currently working on Rapunzel.

Panelist Sean Sexton DreamWorks Animation SKGSean worked as a storyboard artist on Steve Oedekerk’s Thumbtanic and a character layout artist on the hit show Futurama.Currently an animator at DreamWorks, he has worked on such films as Sinbad, SharkTale, Flushed Away, Over the Hedge, and Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie. After wrapping animation on DreamWorks’ first Stereoscopic 3D film Monsters Vs. Aliens, Sean is now working on How to Train Your Dragon. He is also a full-time mentor at Animation Mentor.

Panelist Chris WilliamsSony Pictures Imageworks Chris is an animation supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks where he has worked on a variety of projects encompassing visual effects and character animation.

He is currently a lead animator on Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Since joining Imageworks in 2001, Williams has held various positions on both Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation productions. His credits include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, and Open Season.

Chris is also a mentor at Animation Mentor.
Founded in 2005 AnimationMentor.com is the only animation school built by professional animators specifically for people who want to become animators. The program teaches students the skills needed to succeed as a professional animator in the studio environment. By graduation, every student has worked in a production-style environment where mentors, who are working studio animators, stand in for directors, and assignments stand in for film or game shots. Students learn how to accept guidance and criticism, to meet deadlines and to budget and schedule their time to succeed in the working world. At the end of the 18-month program, students leave with a professional demo reel they can use as their résumé to land jobs. Upon graduation, Animation Mentor coaches graduates and connects them to job opportunities with major recruiters, video game companies, and film studios.

Animation Mentor delivers a much more personal and interactive learning experience than other online education programs by pairing students up with professional animators and giving them access to highly interactive communication tools. Some primary features are:

•    Focus on character animation
•    Online mentor/apprentice teaching model
•    High level of interactivity with mentors and other students
•    Networking opportunities through the online community
•    Innovative use of production-style tools and technology
•    Web 2.0 proprietary tools such as eCritiques®, and live Question & Answer sessions
•    Personal support
•    Caring environment Founders: Bobby Beck, CEO/President/cofounder; Shawn Kelly, cofounder; Carlos Baena, cofounder Mission: To provide the most personal and fulfilling learning experience on the planet!

Pat Ann has created illustrations for different publishing houses on both sides of the Atlantic.  You can find her work in books such as ‘Black Bear, Loon and Walleye’ by Sara Button for Beavers Pond Press, ‘Kingdom of the Frosty Mountain’ series by Emerald Everhart for Egmont UK and the popular role playing game for children; ‘A Fairy’s Tale’ by Firefly Games.  Pat Ann also has won spots in the Spectrum Annuals and won 2^nd place at the SCBWI 2008 Winter Conference Portfolio Awards.

Right now Pat Ann is storyboarding for Amberwood and One Animation Studios and is also focusing on a Graphic Novel.

Upon graduating from High School, Pruiksma was accepted into the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he received a very solid formal Art and Film training for two years. He was also fortunate enough to get his introduction to classical animation techniques by veteran puppet animator Lou Bunin.

Transferring to Cal-Arts for the remainder of his animation education, Pruiksma applied the foundation he had learned at Pratt to Disney style character animation under the instruction of renowned Disney artists T. Hee, Jack Hannah, Elmer Plummer and Ken O’Connor. From 1979 to 1981 he produced two short animated films, learning everything about animated film production from design to sound mixing.

Hired by Walt Disney Studios as an animation trainee in the summer of 1981, Dave was privileged to study animation under Eric Larson and other of Disney’s hand-picked “Nine Old Men”, learning the foundations of classical Disney style animation that these artists had developed and honed to perfection during their long careers in the medium. It was on production at the Disney studios that Pruiksma gained his most practical applications of the principles of full character animation on productions such as “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, “The Black Cauldron” and “The Great Mouse Detective” as well as numerous shorts for the soon to opened Epcot Center and some assistant work on an experimental computer project based on “Where the Wild Things Are” animated by Glen Keane and directed by a young upstart named John Lassiter. It was also at Disney studios that Dave was fortunate enough to be paired as an assistant animator with top animators Ed Gombert and Mark Henn, both of whose superb instruction and tremendous patience added the finishing touches on the young animator’s training.

Promoted, in 1985, to full-fledged animator on “The Great Mouse Detective”, Pruiksma worked in this capacity or as a Directing/Supervising Animator on nearly everything produced at Disney Feature Animation Burbank including “Oliver and Company, The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Cranium Command (a short for Epcot) Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, “Kingdom of the Sun (later re-worked into The Emperor’s New Groove) and Atlantis, not to mention providing animation on various Disney shorts and television projects and developing and instituting various training programs at the studio while mentoring, when they were just starting out, a number of the top animators in the field today. Pruiksma performed all these duties until 2001, when he retired from Disney Feature Animation to pursue other interests.

Over the years, Pruiksma also worked on projects beyond the walls of Disney including 1987’s animated feature “The Great Chipmunk Adventure”, Paula Abdul’s combination live-action animation music video, “Opposites Attract” and a number of animated television commercials and shows. He has also consulted on a number of animated computer games and other projects, lectured on animation around the world, storyboarded and directed television animation, designed for famous artist Paul Frank and animated under the skilled direction of the great animator/director, Eric Goldberg.

Today, Pruiksma continues writing essays and articles and doing interviews regarding his thoughts on current trends in character animation and his views on the changes in the industry in general. He is also an Associate Professor at the Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, California where he teaches the time tested principles of classical character animation (taught to him by the great animators of the past and applied to his work in animation for over 3 decades), to a new generation of animators studying both traditional and computer animation.

This teaching and consulting seems to agree with Mr. Pruiksma as he states, “I like the idea of keeping my hand in the animation pool, but just out of reach of the sharks that always seem to infest those waters. I am proud and thankful for my years of work in animation during it’s second Golden Age, which enabled me to bring to life many memorable characters such as Flounder, Mrs. Potts and Chip, The Sultan, Flit, Victor and Hugo the gargoyles, Harcourt, Packard and others. I have been privileged to work with the best of the best and was facilitated in helping to create some of the highest quality animation that this generation of artists was capable of producing, creating characters that will surely stand the test of time. In the end, I am happy and proud to be a contributor to this most lively of arts.”

He later moved his focus to what he has referred to as his ‘true calling’ – comic books. His experience in storyboarding for animation greatly benefitted his comic book storytelling work, for which he has been hailed by his contemporaries. He has worked for every major comic book company in the United States including Marvel and DC Comics.

Never wanting to become stagnant or unchallenged, Eric will move between the animation and comic books, working on whichever projects interests him the most. He is currently working on his own creator-owned project for Image Comics and is slowly shifting his work towards the European market.

Ajhar’s work is widely recognized for it’s distinctive and humorous point of view. The diverse range of his ideas have adapted to a variety of social, economic, and political issues. His whimsical paintings incorporate traditional mediums such as watercolors, acrylics, pencils and inks that have been integrated with digital technology.

Brian’s work has been featured in many articles and books written about the field of illustration. “The Illustrator in America” 1860-2000 written by Walt Reed profiled Brian’s influence in the 1990s. An excerpt from the book follows:“Ajhar has a free and fluid style of drawing coupled with humor that looks uninhibited and easy. It is based on the strong knowledge of the figure, however, and the ability to draw without slavish reliance on photographs”.

Brian is a frequent guest lecturer and has been teaching illustration concepts and character development at Syracuse University for the past 15 years. He has also taught at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and The University of Hartford, CT where he received the distinguished Koopman Chair Award for the Visual Arts.

Brian’s most recent projects include story and character development for several animation projects and he is looking forward to appearing at the Nov 2010 CTN ANIMATION EXPO in Burbank.

More about Brian Ajhar and his work including character design reels can be found at Brian’s new website: www.ajhar.com