tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76917464224134708172024-03-18T11:09:53.159-04:00Smudge AnimationCharles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comBlogger498125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-77188542293089904102024-02-02T22:19:00.002-05:002024-02-02T22:22:21.766-05:00Animated Events: My Love Affair with Marriage<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gfKP763Qz8M?si=7xTsABGln1yaAKU-" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe></center>
<p>Signe Baumane's latest feature film <i>My Love Affair With Marriage</i> is here in Michigan.</p><p>If you'd like to see this film, the next screening will be in Flint, MI at the Flint Institute of Arts.</p><p>Screenings are:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Friday, Feb 16 at 7:30 p.m.</li><li>Saturday, Feb 17 at 7:30 p.m.</li><li>Sunday, Feb 18 at 2:00 p.m.</li></ul><p></p><p>You can purchase tickets online at: <a href="https://flintarts.org/events/films" target="_blank">https://flintarts.org/events/films</a>.</p><p>And you can learn more about <i>My Love Affair With Marriage</i> at the film's website: <a href="https://www.myloveaffairwithmarriagemovie.com/" target="_blank">https://www.myloveaffairwithmarriagemovie.com/</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p><p><br /></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-45749866408239752232024-01-27T14:37:00.004-05:002024-01-27T16:46:43.441-05:00Animated Thoughts: Annies and Accessibility<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzeGGlgcAZZTBP-eBiY97K0X1RSG3Dcz39eYGnnxcLiuC5ixO7rW4w-_GUw3tS4GI9R8ly5ZGEub9EvffCctpJGt4F2zHiRzvpeKJfqNlcgicohGjdkne2xN6OzhfOiTk7WfJMUshUbYQ2urSLUO8BkSjyiizdeKZPVsWKriuGB62D5Dq4_-KU_qMSMY/s444/trophy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="436" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzeGGlgcAZZTBP-eBiY97K0X1RSG3Dcz39eYGnnxcLiuC5ixO7rW4w-_GUw3tS4GI9R8ly5ZGEub9EvffCctpJGt4F2zHiRzvpeKJfqNlcgicohGjdkne2xN6OzhfOiTk7WfJMUshUbYQ2urSLUO8BkSjyiizdeKZPVsWKriuGB62D5Dq4_-KU_qMSMY/w196-h200/trophy.png" width="196" /></a></div><br />It's January and ASIFA Hollywood has has released their listing of films nominated for the 51st annual <a href="https://annieawards.org/" target="_blank">Annie Awards</a>.<p></p><p>With the second season of <i>Arcane</i> still months away and not having seen many of the features or television series, I'm a little out of sorts on who to cheer for. </p><p>At this point, I've seen <i>Suzume</i> but only have a couple of the nominees on my list of films to watch--those being: <i>Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</i>, <i>Boy and the Heron</i>, <i>Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia</i>, <i>Robot Dreams,</i> <i>The Inventor</i>, and <i>White Plastic Sky</i>. I also need to watch <i>Invincible: Atom Eve</i> before the second half of <i>Invincible</i>, season two is released, but that's neither here-nor-there. The rest of the nominated films really don't seem to be capturing my interest. They may be good films for all I know, but when I look at the trailers, I'm just not feeling them.</p><p>I have the same problem every season when the new anime is released. I start out with a sizable list of shows that look good from the trailers, but when I get two or three episodes in, the luster fades. Out of the eight shows I've started this season, so far, only <i>Delicious in Dungeon</i>, <i>The Unwanted Undead Adventurer</i>, and <i>Solo Leveling</i> are holding my attention (I'm still on the fence with <i>A Sign of Affection</i>). And last season, I started with four and only season two of <i>Goblin Slayer</i> made the cut. On the bright side, it does give me enough time to go back and finish watching <i>Frieren: Beyond Journey's End</i> and <i>Skeleton Knight in Another World</i>. I discovered those a little late in the season, so fortunately all those episodes are out right now. Though I really do need to finish those two series before the Spring as <i>Kaiju No. 8</i> is due out in April and <i>Loner Life in Another World</i> is due out "sometime" in 2024.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglki8kQpumllRaLkPSd4EzyZx902kFXXH7Eu4eOYxx_eD46bGXOtABVj59vnhp9EYoEl70o2rmXqzmPd95PI2eyKbZtkZryHm_yHLXvhULuDC4RUIGQQnisMEsI9bzyjTay2ZcLbn0pSAQIZk5aRytB_NgkqYBmjsKguozTcRsslL5kIM5fkKJBwldnUs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglki8kQpumllRaLkPSd4EzyZx902kFXXH7Eu4eOYxx_eD46bGXOtABVj59vnhp9EYoEl70o2rmXqzmPd95PI2eyKbZtkZryHm_yHLXvhULuDC4RUIGQQnisMEsI9bzyjTay2ZcLbn0pSAQIZk5aRytB_NgkqYBmjsKguozTcRsslL5kIM5fkKJBwldnUs" width="320" /></a></div><br />Then, in February/March, the DIA is showing the Academy Award Nominated animated films so I'll be driving down to Detroit to watch those... and my copy of the late Paul Bush's film <i>Babeldom</i> arrived from England... want to rewatch that film sooner rather than later... and the last two <i>Arpeggio of Blue Steel</i> animated features arrived from Japan earlier this month... ah, so much animation, so little time to fit it all in. A good problem to have now that I think about it.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>* * *</b></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-25276427430696218932023-12-31T00:00:00.388-05:002024-01-06T11:10:34.560-05:00Animated Thoughts: End of the Year Introspection<p>
The year has come to an end and once again I find myself looking both backward and
forward. What projects have I completed? What would I like to accomplish in
the coming year? Well, in addition to updating my history class for it's new format,
there were two main projects I worked on this year that I'm particularly proud
of.</p>
<p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk36XFnhbDkVTyQfSgP9-Z0LFVcLwQ4riFGRhiGOlYl9PKYyei3CndMhe-VP0YUWEa2RxVkio9HSReoKl6Gy8kSmyK-dI18tqdHc8bfl85ZfC4la-WK-ivapcIRg8tHBucba4YR9x7LdrdLY_OC_4RotrYlkAH1grlQ4mLEpc_9fxhkBb-03IDo4dY9mk" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="693" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk36XFnhbDkVTyQfSgP9-Z0LFVcLwQ4riFGRhiGOlYl9PKYyei3CndMhe-VP0YUWEa2RxVkio9HSReoKl6Gy8kSmyK-dI18tqdHc8bfl85ZfC4la-WK-ivapcIRg8tHBucba4YR9x7LdrdLY_OC_4RotrYlkAH1grlQ4mLEpc_9fxhkBb-03IDo4dY9mk" width="185" /></a>
</div>
The first was a cookbook for my nephews. One graduated from high school and the
other from college. So I spent over six months talking to my mother and other
relatives in order to gather recipes that have been in the family for
generations--a number of which my nephews would have tried out when they came to
visit. Each recipe had a story (or just an anecdote) on why it was in the
cookbook as well as snippets of our shared history. I also included as many stories
of our family history as I could find--even going so far as to trace our
family tree back seven generations, which included the geneology work performed by relatives who had done much of this research in the years leading up to my project. <div><br /></div><div>Sadly, due
to the Bolshevek Revolution and the Vietnam War, I couldn't go back very far
through the Shemko and Nguyen/Pham lineage since most of those records have been
destroyed. But, we do have some very detailed records of the Wilson, Crotty, and
Shults lines. One big surprise was the work that my cousin's family did in
discovering who my Grandpa Wilson really was and where he came from. I never knew that
six generations back, we have an ancestor who immigrated from Italy to
Ireland. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, I honestly doubt that the cookbook will mean much to my nephews right now, at
their current ages and where they are in life. But in about fifteen to twenty
years, when they have kids of their own and they start fielding questions of
what it was like when they were kids and 'where do we come from', I think the
Family Heritage Cookbook will mean something really special to them.
<p></p>
<p>
The second project was no less of an achievement, one years in the making and
that has been on my mind since being furloughed during the economic crash of
2008.
</p>
<p>
On more than one occasion, I've stated that I want to make more films that are
fun and uplifting. A lot of this comes from my work as a forensic animator.
The rest comes from my trips to Ottawa. The Ottawa International Animation Festival is a very inspiring
experience and yet at the same time it's a very humbling experience. I see
the works of filmmakers like Michèle Cournoyer and Andreas Hykades. They are
entertaining on one level, thought provoking on another, but overall they make
me confront the fact that I don't yet have the ability to handle serious
topics with the skill and delicacy that they do. I know that we shouldn't
compare ourselves to other people, but I often find myself listening to
podcasts and audiobooks about serious subjects (like the Rape of Nanking or the
history of Russia) and wonder how I would portray such events in animated
form--an attempt to convey the tragedy and the horror of the event without it
devolving into a spectacle that robs the event of its meaning.</p>
<p>
This all leads into the other thing I'm proud of this year: convincing my boss
to let me do a little internet advertising towards our existing client base.
Yeah, yeah, I know, how does this relate to the above, bear with me. I've
worked for Investigative Mechanics for over twenty years now. During that
time, I've been filming car wrecks (and animating a few) in order to document
evidence for court cases. Sometimes, I even get to make these 'mini documentaries' that explain
technical issues to non-technical judges and juries.
</p>
<p>
And for at least the past fifteen years, through the good and bad economic times, I've
been trying to convince my boss to advertise the company. As he's somewhat
old-school, he's always balked at my ideas, preferring to gain new business by
word-of-mouth advertising through satisfied clients. However, we've got a
rather sizable library of cases that we've worked on and some are pretty
interesting. So, when I pitched the website update and redesign this year, I took a
little time to write-up some cases and animated the following video about one
of our more interesting cases -- complete with some new animations to explain
the issue we discovered.
</p>
<p>
</p><center>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fEjB0JTqfns" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
</center>
<p></p>
<p>
Now it's one thing to produce a short like this one: dry, technical, but
interesting to its target audience. It's another thing entirely to produce a
film that can tackle a more difficult subject and make it appeal to a much
broader audience. This is where I really admire filmmakers like Cournoyer and
Hykades. I've watched Hykades' film "The Runt" many times over the years and
discussed it with a fair number of people. I keep coming back to the 'rite of passage' theme of
guiding a boy into manhood by teaching him the lesson that 'for him to live,
something must die'. Most people I've spoken to are stuck on being horrified by
the death of bunnies. They stop there and don't seem to consider the deeper
lessons that Hykades may have been trying to reveal to his audience--some that he
may have learned as a boy himself. Cournoyer's film for the NFB "A Feather Tale" with its themes of sexual fetishism and objectification is a little easier to find common ground with people who've watched it. We tend to see the same themes in the metaphorical imagery of a man who objectifies his wife told through the visuals of a farmer and a chicken.</p>
<p>
I'm honestly not sure if producing films like the aforementioned is a goal I should be working towards or if I should stay in
my lane. Though films like "A Feather Tale" may not have the
immediate payoff as a comedic animated short film does, I suspect that the serious
animated film may have a longer term payoff as it's meant to affect us at a deeper level. Bears further thought.
</p>
<p>I remember sitting in a Toronto theater in 2014, watching the annual TAIS Summer Screening. They had put out the call to their members for the yearly anijam. That particular year's topic was "robots". So I banged out something quick over an evening and submitted it. That night, knowing that I couldn't match the artistic skills of my fellow animators, I went for a simple one gag story with a 'subversion of expectations' event thrown in for good measure.</p><p>And it worked.</p><p>The crowd got a good chuckle out of the ten second animation and I heard someone in the audience say that it was clever. I had taken my roll of the dice and it paid off.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SuE4GjV9LUM?si=sZ8gB9jrFec8RtBH" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
</p>
<p>There are a lot of funny stories in my past that I'd like to share to a wider audience. But there are also some serious and poignant ones as well. The first step to take is to write them down--which I've been doing for several years now, if for no other reason than to get them out of my head. As I close the book on the 2023 projects and look at my free time for 2024, I'm left wondering which stories I should invest my limited time and energy into: those that will make people laugh in the moment or those that will make people think over the long term?</p><p>Well, enough rambling. Happy New Year, everyone. Time for me to get back to learning the latest upgrade to Moho Pro.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>* * *</b></p></div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-18183016423417701442023-11-14T00:00:00.156-05:002023-11-19T23:16:10.577-05:00Animated Events: Miku Expo 2023 VR<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz2SOkvd0wgYy92hPV1qr5kFPFyZBFtCWsisEktDZviefEiAlgw6ZRnzKAyV6HLlDf9jBII0L0PhOdiXRqJWs9WSjolW5DmRkMriQmRklztQecJ_Vto0BbiR-0WLhje78P-9KmKpRlMR5kvzIu5OMa88s6TTVSKvfw7uuNyzVf1SWUQE--UZFeOMt3yLM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz2SOkvd0wgYy92hPV1qr5kFPFyZBFtCWsisEktDZviefEiAlgw6ZRnzKAyV6HLlDf9jBII0L0PhOdiXRqJWs9WSjolW5DmRkMriQmRklztQecJ_Vto0BbiR-0WLhje78P-9KmKpRlMR5kvzIu5OMa88s6TTVSKvfw7uuNyzVf1SWUQE--UZFeOMt3yLM=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />Well Miku Expo 2023 VR was last weekend and I have to say that it did not
disappoint. Afterwards, I was left with a lot of fond memories of seeing Miku
for the first time at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit back in 2014 and then the
full Expo in Toronto two years later. While the in-house experience they've
been doing since the lockdowns is definitely different from the "live"
performance, I have to admit that I do like watching a show in the privacy of
my own home and not having to deal with travel and crowds. But, as in 2024,
Miku Expo will be coming to Detroit, I do see a short road trip in my future.<p></p>
<p>
The program was streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, however only Twitch had
the opening act. Like last time, the concert was shown three times and there
was a pre-show of Miku videos and commercials. This was followed by a show of
one of three musicians. I was in a videoconference so missed out on the
opening act but did get to catch the pre-show. My favorite video was the
thoroughly enjoyable "Music Like Magic!" by OSTER project, music video by
Milo, with visuals that looked like cut-out animation -- though was most
likely digital cut-out. Fortunately for all, since this was the official music
video for MIKU Expo Europe back in 2018, the video was still online:
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bMkQnpo_Ifg?si=XSar8ABLNl0lMX_r" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
</p>
<p>
This year's performance took place in a virtual circus setting complete with
castle and ferris wheel. I have to admit, I found the patchwork of colors and
shapes to be a little busy, visually. But after the first couple songs, the
setting changed to this fantasy underground venue complete with crystals and
an on-again/off-again field of grass and flowers--a setting I much preferred.
</p>
<p>The setlist they followed was as follows:</p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Knife, Knife, Knife - KIKUO</li><li>
Acceleration (Breeze Remix) - Clean Tears</li><li>
Frauline=Biblioteka - nyanyannya</li><li>
Literacy - wotaku</li><li>
Midnight Surf - asicacamosica.</li><li>
1+1 - doriko</li><li>
wanterlast - sasajure.UK</li><li>
vivid - YuyoyuppexUtsu-P</li><li>
Karma - CircusP & Creep-P</li><li>
Ego rock(long ver.) - Three</li><li>
Shindeshimautowa Nasakenal! - WONDERFUL*OPPORTUNITY!</li><li>
Plaything - Mizu</li><li>
Tell Your World - livetune</li><li>
imaginary love story - Synthion</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA2xgs84gFfr4T7nyKnv1dTLqqFKP8udVN9MgmZ15WZrpzVBjb7Cwqc81n4XLShAenQIy2GbUxfcoGSc3y3HYlr_2gA9VwcEUw3rzzt71ilsbfZ3GYfz3qbkZUJpLheVd3JNjL0LoDv3IpR7Z9E2uQAbc5Q2MEoxuhOdvU3UhcC9WjWAkxYcz5CklOdAk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA2xgs84gFfr4T7nyKnv1dTLqqFKP8udVN9MgmZ15WZrpzVBjb7Cwqc81n4XLShAenQIy2GbUxfcoGSc3y3HYlr_2gA9VwcEUw3rzzt71ilsbfZ3GYfz3qbkZUJpLheVd3JNjL0LoDv3IpR7Z9E2uQAbc5Q2MEoxuhOdvU3UhcC9WjWAkxYcz5CklOdAk=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />So a lot of songs I haven't heard but some classics that I love, like "Tell Your World".</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The music for the show was performed by the following musicians:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Nao Nishimura - Keyboard</li><li>Yuta Sasaki - Guitar</li><li>Hikaru Yamamoto - Bass</li><li>Masafumi Eno - Drums</li></ul></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Miku Expo sounded like it would be really fun to watch in VR, but unfortunately I'd need to wear my eyeglasses in order to see the mini screens in the headset. Pretty sure it would end up being a rather uncomfortable experience based upon the animated VR short I saw at Ottawa this year. Fortunately though, Miku Expo 2024 is going to be showing in Detroit, so there's a definite possibility that I'll go back to watching Miku and friends in person.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnDdHdYPQXql96EfxQG0sfDyiRMuFOrFIbVelSmdNkkxn1cRDqOpSWLiIO7vjbOoBCewMe0hGoy0anktuQ9_i2ZhMmRhRPzU9VLQtlZH7a8sc50fd4ZRBt3Db02QToTOGI0lvxIL22uqTGLZ6ZbbhBUObRDFg5rbEjAy4mkE1V1c5AZyZ_Ko7LKmsB5vM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnDdHdYPQXql96EfxQG0sfDyiRMuFOrFIbVelSmdNkkxn1cRDqOpSWLiIO7vjbOoBCewMe0hGoy0anktuQ9_i2ZhMmRhRPzU9VLQtlZH7a8sc50fd4ZRBt3Db02QToTOGI0lvxIL22uqTGLZ6ZbbhBUObRDFg5rbEjAy4mkE1V1c5AZyZ_Ko7LKmsB5vM=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-8090966641935512172023-10-31T00:00:00.006-04:002023-10-31T09:37:24.451-04:00Animated Events: An Afternoon at the DIA<p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_v6UXZ6D0tDlrXwn1SKqdm95MnJiDuNMdHRW2pYIRkTwuOgx5cms8fdpptg-xa4guV57muXkcFtZiMCOM0rlM0YmqZov6vvUJyXHHiDHJxsC8Q2jwMMNQIqB1JuK-Dd6xE81dE7oTyGta7VP2PfpARgI4Url2khM1tPcG3ZhAM2BqrZ1ijRXh1MRvZc/s960/Fall%20Bunny.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_v6UXZ6D0tDlrXwn1SKqdm95MnJiDuNMdHRW2pYIRkTwuOgx5cms8fdpptg-xa4guV57muXkcFtZiMCOM0rlM0YmqZov6vvUJyXHHiDHJxsC8Q2jwMMNQIqB1JuK-Dd6xE81dE7oTyGta7VP2PfpARgI4Url2khM1tPcG3ZhAM2BqrZ1ijRXh1MRvZc/s400/Fall%20Bunny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p></p>
<p>It was October. The leaves were red, orange, and gold here in Michigan.</p>
<p>
I had handed out midterms on Friday and they started to drift in -- a number
of my more diligent students finished and turned in the exam the very next
day. But as we headed into the holiday season, I knew that time was going to
be more precious than ever. Grading forty-three midterms, followed by grading
two separate writing assignments in November and a third quiz-based assignment
in December, followed by the final exam and submitting course grades lay ahead
of me. Then there was International Animation Day, the Grand Rapids Comicon,
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and finally, my birthday on New Year's
Eve.
</p>
<p>
I had to face the very real fact that I wouldn't get to visit the Detroit
Institute of Arts until January. Not being able to visit an art museum isn't a
Greek tragedy in the grand scheme of life. But considering how much I work
during the week, I do enjoy getting away from it all for an afternoon of
solitude, a little exercise, and some artistic inspiration. Recharges the
internal batteries and all that.
</p>
<p>
So, with the weekend open, a friend and I drove down to Detroit for a good
lunch and an afternoon of cultural enrichment. After we finished up at the DIA
Café, Jon and I went our separate ways. He wanted to visit the DIA's library
and do some research. I wanted to drift and look at some familiar pieces of
art--see what was still there and what had been changed since my last visit. I
was not disappointed.
</p>
<p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2b8OzX3ghqVhTB9F-gmOSlzgD_Q3r3W2SlCFHy_udupvCT3M0MKGXuGI0y5bGhU_b9rvTlTsNYw4hnPwmTiS-8IFRLBbkQbgTwkVIRurllXax1HG5gEQBpRnVvtAa_-CU_fEbvl2J3CmdapabqZ6mnyHqi4Q0kdjfi6YEpquaTlN6inqW8mlTlVbrSc8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2b8OzX3ghqVhTB9F-gmOSlzgD_Q3r3W2SlCFHy_udupvCT3M0MKGXuGI0y5bGhU_b9rvTlTsNYw4hnPwmTiS-8IFRLBbkQbgTwkVIRurllXax1HG5gEQBpRnVvtAa_-CU_fEbvl2J3CmdapabqZ6mnyHqi4Q0kdjfi6YEpquaTlN6inqW8mlTlVbrSc8=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hanuman, early 1900's<br />Unknown artist</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />The first stop was the "hall of puppetry". The exhibit had been swapped
out since my last visit. Some of the puppets I had seen before, but this time
there was an interesting note in one of the placards dealing with the puppeteer
making a puppet transition from one size to another during the performance
and it explained a little technique. When I think about how Lotte
Reiniger made transitions in direction or movement on the z-plane, how the
Indian puppeteers handled the same issue was very thought provoking. Worth some
further research... and testing... and I wondered how I could integrate that
information into my lecture on the history of puppets... or the assignment on
Lotte Reiniger.
<p></p>
<p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidmyvox_Crdk-FnzWe6mRq5pQIy91c2YMse5gAt0_wF63PMmurHu3S28fZglvWTjXRHGL5xXrhiot-Am9kYNh9Wxca-5vKp5NQwp64GUY9xOkof1ZUiRRE7f_8vKG_LJVB87ZGVDguD5BGg04xyouNKq2GQUiRCAcXHRCkb12N8R4UcvCCq7NKJqOpe0M" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidmyvox_Crdk-FnzWe6mRq5pQIy91c2YMse5gAt0_wF63PMmurHu3S28fZglvWTjXRHGL5xXrhiot-Am9kYNh9Wxca-5vKp5NQwp64GUY9xOkof1ZUiRRE7f_8vKG_LJVB87ZGVDguD5BGg04xyouNKq2GQUiRCAcXHRCkb12N8R4UcvCCq7NKJqOpe0M=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Painting from an Album of Landscapes<br />after Old Masters, 1619<br />Shen
Shichong</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p>
Then it was off to the "hall of Chinese paintings". There's just something
about observing the complexity of the simple designs seen in both the layout and the brush
strokes combined with a skillful use of the 'white of the paper' that I find so
appealing. I once heard that during Mao's "Cultural Revolution" the communists
tried to destroy China's history. How many priceless works of art and
literature that represent the great history of the Chinese people are gone
forever? Course, for that matter, how many were destroyed during World War II?
Or when Rome fell... or Constantinople...?<br /><br />
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGBhEgTHuQuY8Edx_fl4qXywhk6y-2lxM5TrEqDEQx98ys1BpBV7GLoD2V5cl793JKOvPCqb6ePXSjUjdC3anEaYzzlY7a46drs3md_TwTe_OjcyHVOc9gor65JOOfJPMBKPdDCIDQoPukDoN004jSJ0VCB7NS1Z-uFOcZSj1opYd04srf3HOZObeszxY" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGBhEgTHuQuY8Edx_fl4qXywhk6y-2lxM5TrEqDEQx98ys1BpBV7GLoD2V5cl793JKOvPCqb6ePXSjUjdC3anEaYzzlY7a46drs3md_TwTe_OjcyHVOc9gor65JOOfJPMBKPdDCIDQoPukDoN004jSJ0VCB7NS1Z-uFOcZSj1opYd04srf3HOZObeszxY" width="320" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fruit Piece, 1849<br />Robert Seldon Duncanson</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />Having no plan in particular, nor any special exhibits to visit, I walked
upstairs and revisited some artwork that I'd seen many times before. This time
though, feeling no rush to be anywhere or do anything, I sat there and tried to
observe the paintings with new eyes and from different angles. My patience was
rewarded as I noticed details in the paint/brushstrokes on the pineapple in
Duncanson's "Fruit Piece", details meant to simulate light and shadow and reveal
texture. Then there were the speckles on the strawberries, obviously meant to
represent seeds--or the individual painted drupelets that made up the
raspberries. So many small details that make up a greater whole.
<p></p>
<p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRaJfDUJPEuxHNcmWBeZCMXTl8_Qz6meQTEQTLtEwx56TOiGRxJAK_uUhXHQXtx2pkBCrqyPK_-Q5e-0zWVFURiX1dtjlBJtoDgR2qrlrHzKjT9i2bZerWYB_ZGtGaK6PuPY_mkbHcoQz_jMhtWHCXEciudPjMoIM3P_e2BCUu-3GGpb7ub3mQxErHm3M" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRaJfDUJPEuxHNcmWBeZCMXTl8_Qz6meQTEQTLtEwx56TOiGRxJAK_uUhXHQXtx2pkBCrqyPK_-Q5e-0zWVFURiX1dtjlBJtoDgR2qrlrHzKjT9i2bZerWYB_ZGtGaK6PuPY_mkbHcoQz_jMhtWHCXEciudPjMoIM3P_e2BCUu-3GGpb7ub3mQxErHm3M=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Veiled Lady, 1872<br />Giovanni Maria Benzoni</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />Before I left the museum proper, I had to take some more photographs of
the 'Veiled Lady'. Still breathtaking... not just the ability to make marble
look transparent, but also the folds in the fabric and the detail on the woman's
clothing.
<p></p>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMM7Bjm0Kc0fYJbJw_WZMookqscms6CqALJkplmg5wM5b_9hS_yfpQOI8-NMtjASaIOBSfPdnGdqGuG4mzWsIy7XOavgOlErQc5JP8twuYiG2KuLZR2n7lGC2a4NjTCZAPcoMLWlDptrsryvhiAte3z4xIsKgVabZeDFlDmaW95KSFmVMs3I8iHq8GxWQ"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMM7Bjm0Kc0fYJbJw_WZMookqscms6CqALJkplmg5wM5b_9hS_yfpQOI8-NMtjASaIOBSfPdnGdqGuG4mzWsIy7XOavgOlErQc5JP8twuYiG2KuLZR2n7lGC2a4NjTCZAPcoMLWlDptrsryvhiAte3z4xIsKgVabZeDFlDmaW95KSFmVMs3I8iHq8GxWQ=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</div>
<p>
It really makes me wonder how long it took Giovanni Benzoni to learn and
master the skills necessary to create such a statue.
</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXvoQKy4HA7BfQ6BUt2IZdAYgyo0YRG4MhWjxiIZ5SoKyq29V-uj2GqZXsn_j4lGzpVd2mZMbZa9GuWtD0RCTSkx590YoG80sQ-Go1rBbDpzJC-c81xGOSl_WCI0cmGxeozZbN3p565mWNX6lVtzGGmMOPZFRywZo9am5cPvJHOrayb25XhhmHxz_MkbE" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXvoQKy4HA7BfQ6BUt2IZdAYgyo0YRG4MhWjxiIZ5SoKyq29V-uj2GqZXsn_j4lGzpVd2mZMbZa9GuWtD0RCTSkx590YoG80sQ-Go1rBbDpzJC-c81xGOSl_WCI0cmGxeozZbN3p565mWNX6lVtzGGmMOPZFRywZo9am5cPvJHOrayb25XhhmHxz_MkbE=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mont Sainte-Victoire, ~1904-6<br />Paul Cezanne</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p>
Feeling a little tired by this point, I had a light dessert at the Kresge
Court and did some reading. I've been jotting down notes about a fantasy
setting that's been on my mind for the better part of five years--writing from
the first-person perspective like Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, as if I was
writing a travelogue of my experiences while I wander through a strange and
wondrous land. I honestly don't think that it's something that I'd ever
publish. It's more the act of creation and having something special for me to
read and reread that I'm enjoying. A roommate of mine once wrote several
novels in the time we lived together. They were all set in the universe of a
game we played and from the perspective of the main character and the
mercenary unit that my friend played. One day I asked him if he was ever going
to submit them for publication, after all, he had been a playtester for the
game, he knew the right people to talk to. But he said 'no'. Writing these
stories was something that he did for himself. I didn't understand it then,
but all these years later, I think I get it now. Sometimes the story is so
personal that you want to keep it all to yourself rather than put it out
there, be it published as official canon or as fan fiction. Jeff was right:
sometimes it's all about 'creating art just for the sake of creating art'.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>* * *</b></p>
<p><br /></p>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-18012434429218044832023-10-28T00:00:00.003-04:002023-10-28T23:31:55.614-04:00International Animation Day 2023<p style="text-align: center;"> Happy International Animation Day!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3P2pWjKk-c4yi1Kljg6FfXGKlBjKK3Hc8--K98Wkh1-gO54FX5VjrSMgIBAO7gkh3PdZP0RdVNcjIEkr0gQYGYHLS3HEkV-doilYnOImS4G3Wiuo_Rv-g_wW6SG7KaoU_BRmBv8vbao8RO8_N2xS5IGNZPs5tNPfkM623i-1MvayEliKXnPlltEV4WVA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1368" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3P2pWjKk-c4yi1Kljg6FfXGKlBjKK3Hc8--K98Wkh1-gO54FX5VjrSMgIBAO7gkh3PdZP0RdVNcjIEkr0gQYGYHLS3HEkV-doilYnOImS4G3Wiuo_Rv-g_wW6SG7KaoU_BRmBv8vbao8RO8_N2xS5IGNZPs5tNPfkM623i-1MvayEliKXnPlltEV4WVA=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-51728859624683931772023-10-17T00:00:00.725-04:002023-10-23T16:37:33.725-04:00Animated Thoughts: Return to the Ottawa International Animation Festival<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvZRB5HNHvvvGP0LE9jOA3ljxkEBrRtIURUXio-KGn1xPR2LOr32I_tP9pB84D5QXoCUYl2IQMYH8RzRRAU_74MAivZQVhGe8GYceoW-a4yjXLDmp_vFSF-uk5uWVgb2cYzE6ZYlAHozEvywqSVuyUf3NLoeQ--CKocZwe-27v8YKV9AAiNe6bXRqIEBU"
style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"
><img
alt=""
data-original-height="3024"
data-original-width="4032"
height="240"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvZRB5HNHvvvGP0LE9jOA3ljxkEBrRtIURUXio-KGn1xPR2LOr32I_tP9pB84D5QXoCUYl2IQMYH8RzRRAU_74MAivZQVhGe8GYceoW-a4yjXLDmp_vFSF-uk5uWVgb2cYzE6ZYlAHozEvywqSVuyUf3NLoeQ--CKocZwe-27v8YKV9AAiNe6bXRqIEBU"
width="320"
/></a>
</div>
<p></p>
<p>Fall was here.</p>
<p>
The travel restrictions had ended. And yet I was on the fence about going back
to the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
</p>
<p>
Since 1994, I had only missed two festivals (though I made sure to collect the
program books for those two years). As time had progressed, a Fall trip to
Canada -- usually with a brief yet enjoyable layover in Toronto or Niagara --
had become a welcome routine. As we entered September, I still hadn't decided
whether or not I wanted to go, but I reserved a hotel room just in case. I
could cancel the reservation up to the day before the festival so I was in no
danger there either way.
</p>
<p>
While I had attended the virtual OIAF festivals during the lockdown, and had
scheduled other events during that time to ensure that I would have my own
"Ottawa" experience, I had to face the very real fact that I wasn't the person
that I was before the lockdowns. I had been broken out of my routine and saw
what other things were out there
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1)</span>.
</p>
<p>
But I received an e-mail from a colleague who asked me if I was going to the
festival. And he was someone who I've wanted to hang out with for quite some
time now, so the die was cast and the festival pass was purchased <span
style="font-size: xx-small;"
>(2)</span
> and I waited patiently for the trip.
</p>
<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipS51dewaF6Vca96ZNm4Vs19A1knseIro8WAzqvElsR4Gig41sE3CO1L4gKi-ZWIW6bodN0O2yHHrBq4ZRlkpJ9PhpisInZWw_kLhc2UqHVWgd6-hkbaW2YB9qK-D9FVBoqXdHX4O8FphF1WSVPp7zi5Ac9V-eu5g5JaewTLTBNPgFCc1q8dEsNgoIIDI"
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><img
alt=""
data-original-height="3024"
data-original-width="4032"
height="240"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipS51dewaF6Vca96ZNm4Vs19A1knseIro8WAzqvElsR4Gig41sE3CO1L4gKi-ZWIW6bodN0O2yHHrBq4ZRlkpJ9PhpisInZWw_kLhc2UqHVWgd6-hkbaW2YB9qK-D9FVBoqXdHX4O8FphF1WSVPp7zi5Ac9V-eu5g5JaewTLTBNPgFCc1q8dEsNgoIIDI"
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/></a>
</div>
<br /><b>September 20, 2023</b>
<p></p>
<p>Day one of my triumphant return to Ottawa!</p>
<p>
It turned out to be a ten hour drive to Ottawa. Would have been a nine hour
drive, but the traffic in Toronto was pretty tough to wade through. However,
time flew by as I was talking with Jim Middleton the entire way. We discussed
film, animation, music, the state of the animation industry, vintage film and
sound equipment, and teaching modalities.
</p>
<p>
We arrived in Ottawa around 8:30-ish. Plenty of time to pick up our passes
before they closed at 9 p.m. and then check into the hotel. After a tasty
dinner at the Aulde Dubliner, it was off to the opening night party. We saw
festival Artistic Director Chris Robinson and chatted up fellow animator Pilar
Newton-Katz. Didn't see anyone else that we knew. The Pub 101 was packed with
students. Jim and I then walked around the city and reminisced about places
that had closed down and were overjoyed a the larger number of places we
remembered that were still there. Was looking forward to having a crepe and a
Beavertail at the Byward Market that weekend.
</p>
<p>
Over dinner, Jim listened to one of my animated short ideas. He was very
encouraging. I think that having a set of completed storyboards before the
semester ends is an achievable goal. Would be nice to show something to the
kids--let them know that I do produce something other than animations of car
crashes. And maaaaybe have something for next year's International Animation
Day... and TAIS Summer screening. Heck, would be nice just to have something
non-technical and artistic to show. I honestly never realized how difficult it
would be to complete a short film when you're working full time. Makes me
appreciate the work my professors back at R.I.T. did all the more. Seemed like
every other year, either Stephanie or Skip would have a film in competition.
</p>
<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<br /><b>September 21, 2023</b>
<p></p>
<p>
Was a nice start to the day. Everyone is pretty friendly. Met up with some
regulars (and ASIFA members) Gary Schwartz, Josh Harrell, Brooke Keesling, as
well as Pilar while Jim and I were at the Chez Ani, waiting for the first
event of the day: "Dots, Lines, Washes: Animating Ink". Should be a
fascinating presentation. The presenter was introducing the films. I was
hoping that she'd include some technique in her opening presentation and I was
not disappointed.
</p>
<p>
The whole screening was good -- would've been better without all the stupid
students looking at their stupid phones though. You paid to be at a festival,
sitting in a theater where you came to see some beautiful art... and you're
surfing the net and texting your friends instead of watching the films. I
don't understand people. The program opened with Ryan Larkin's
<i
><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAMtmK7ObkA" target="_blank"
>Walking</a
></i
>. Still a solid film even after all these years. She also showed a clip about
Disney's ink and paint process as well as how they did background painting
back in 1938--I didn't realize that the backgrounds in Snow White used
watercolor. You can see the segment she showed in the linked video at time
marker 3:22 to 4:28. But the whole video on YouTube is worth a watch:
<i
><a href="https://youtu.be/mhfp6Z8z1cI?si=v-kE4tu20kPAUIE5" target="_blank"
>How Walt Disney Cartoons are Made</a
></i
>, 1938.
</p>
<p>
There were three other films that really spoke to me from the program: 1947's
<a href="https://youtu.be/fZs5kwNwVs0?si=G9jD3MKk-03cPN4j" target="_blank"
><i>Boogie Doodle</i></a
>, by Norman McLaren,
<i
><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsXof3p5l3U" target="_blank"
>Feeling from Mountain and Water</a
></i
>, a 1988 film produced by Te Wei, and lastly, a clip of some animated shrimps
done in the style of artist Qi Baishi. The linked video shows Qi Baishi
painting shrimps and shows a clip of the film at the end. The film clip we
watched was from <i>Three Shrimps</i>, 1950, but the video on YouTube is '<a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alBa_PzECEE"
target="_blank"
><i>Rare video of Chinese painting master Qui Baishi painting shrimp</i></a
>.' Such beautiful films. I made some notes so that I could go back later,
track them down, and watch them again.
</p>
<p>
Saw Lynn Dana Wilton on the way out. Was real sorry to hear that she had been
ill, but she's looking very rested and healthy. Wish that the two films she
submitted had been accepted to the festival. Would really like to see more of
her work. I had seen on LinkedIn that Lynn posted a link to an anijam she
participated in. Would love to know what segment in the overall film was hers.
</p>
<p>
After a short conversation, it was off to the World Panorama. I could already
tell that it was going to be a great day of screenings. Every program I really
wanted to see was that day--including the Canadian and Canadian Student
Panoramas. Once I'd seen those screenings, everything else that week would be
gravy. There were some really decent films with amazing technique--especially
a direct-on-film short by Richard Reeves titled <i>Intersextion</i> (the
trailer for which you can see below)--but the one thing I noticed which seemed
to be lacking from a lot of the films I saw that afternoon was "story". Jim
noticed the same thing. We were left wondering if colleges are still teaching
story in these animation schools. I must admit to being a bit spoiled in that
regard. Back at R.I.T., Erik's philosophy was 'it all begins with a story'.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
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title="YouTube video player"
width="445"
></iframe>
</p>
<p>
After dinner, we went to the Salon de Refuses party. Got the chance to catch
up with Toronto animator James Murray. Met a student (Joshua) who recognized
the "Stop motion" t-shirt I was wearing. Turns out a professor of his was one
of the people who started the Montreal Stop-Motion Festival. Small world. Went
inside the venue and it was packed, but not packed enough to prevent me from
meeting 'the' George Maestri. He seemed surprised when Jim and I talked about
reading his articles in Computer Graphics World back in the day and
owning/using all of his books to study 3d CGI character animation.
</p>
<p>
George, if you ever see this, I wasn't kidding about owning your four books
and how fascinating they have been.
</p>
<p></p>
<table
align="center"
cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0"
class="tr-caption-container"
style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
>
<tbody>
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1fTpXZimjPrGk0-jsIag1m94F1-kJV3_XZfKgdwXSBlsWukyOrEOAvipO-Eu05YhZT9pB1ajwZZUAUWUzUAwmJsKwulAiuJc3QKZEa7wq9vQ_mSSXhUCd-reXhqDFJWEWG3OeK8T7xdEsn3dWWR1ChEYS6pyhPfQrPba61NJ6yx2Ebd3ucxTbAsjKaYI"
style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
><img
alt=""
data-original-height="3024"
data-original-width="4032"
height="240"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1fTpXZimjPrGk0-jsIag1m94F1-kJV3_XZfKgdwXSBlsWukyOrEOAvipO-Eu05YhZT9pB1ajwZZUAUWUzUAwmJsKwulAiuJc3QKZEa7wq9vQ_mSSXhUCd-reXhqDFJWEWG3OeK8T7xdEsn3dWWR1ChEYS6pyhPfQrPba61NJ6yx2Ebd3ucxTbAsjKaYI"
width="320"
/></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"
>Some are still available on Amazon... just sayin'</span
>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />On the way out of the party, we bumped into Brooke. Once again, her
husband was out camping in "redwood country" while she was giving panels and
doing some networking at the festival for her company. The solitude he was
experiencing sounds really lovely. For years now, I have been living vicariously
through stories of him going camping out in the middle of nowhere with some
books to read and peace and quiet to enjoy. I hope to meet him in person some
day. Sounds like one of those really chill guys who you can hang out with and
swap travel stories over a pint. Course, maybe next year I'll follow his example
and head out to the wilds of Northern Michigan with a couple books and my
camping gear (and a crate of bug spray).
<p></p>
<p>
Heading back to the hotel room, I saw Linda Siemensky on the elevator. She's
working at a new company. Hope it's a good fit for her skills and talent.
Reminded me that I hadn't yet seen Glenn, my friend and fellow R.I.T. alum.
Wondered if he was going to make it this year? Didn't see our fellow grad
school alum Sarah either. She was usually there shepherding a bunch of
her students from the university over in Buffalo where she teaches.
</p>
<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8VJeUpyT00QCKlthqpuqymWsBP9U4dqqdd8REqbBPkwwb7pYo2jcsy-fIX1StBL6xqZfqRkIgQ-SFlAk2AcFKzeCy6nEwNt9Cgvd9BJPlc2KCO92s6_NUvpJ7awDQD_zSPjWIQ6iSdb4Abfy4pW1DBUTx3vQdwrSyCuYVOUGWmcVTM0OG6qHZRiXH2AI"
style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"
><img
alt=""
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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8VJeUpyT00QCKlthqpuqymWsBP9U4dqqdd8REqbBPkwwb7pYo2jcsy-fIX1StBL6xqZfqRkIgQ-SFlAk2AcFKzeCy6nEwNt9Cgvd9BJPlc2KCO92s6_NUvpJ7awDQD_zSPjWIQ6iSdb4Abfy4pW1DBUTx3vQdwrSyCuYVOUGWmcVTM0OG6qHZRiXH2AI"
width="320"
/></a>
</div>
<br /><b>Friday, September 22, 2023</b>
<p></p>
<p>
Wow what a whirlwind of screenings and people. Saw Barry Sanders while in line
for the morning screening. Wonder how many of the Toronto animation
crowd were at the fest over the weekend? Afterwards, Jim wanted to get his
steps in, so he and I walked to the picnic where we chatted with Gary, Brooke,
Josh and some nice girls from a school in Philly. This was the two girls'
first OIAF ever. I handed out lots of free info for job hunting. I'm a little
disappointed in myself. I didn't take a photo of the festival cake... or
cupcakes... I don't know what they had for dessert at the picnic. At that
point, I was a little tired of fighting Canadian yellow jackets over who was
going to drink my soda so I opted for enjoying a brisk walk back to the
hotel and taking a delightful nap before the evening screening.
</p>
<p>
The nap after the picnic served me well. I was awake and alert--enough to see
Joan Gratz standing there in the aisles right before the screening. Had a nice
chat with her before the films started playing. Joan was a pistol as always,
but unfortunately she had to deal with a number of delayed flights on the way
here. This prevented her from arriving in Ottawa until later in the morning.
She ended up dozing a bit through the screening. I couldn't blame her.
Regardless, no matter how much or how little, it's always a treat to spend
time with her.
</p>
<p>
The World Student Panorama afterwards was very impressive. There's a number of
films there that I want to rewatch and analyze--once the films finish their
festival run and the kids put them in their online portfolios (hopefully). A
very Canadian-themed dinner with Jim consisted of poutine and Beavertails. And
lots of conversation about the state of education--and how to be better teach
students.
</p>
<p></p>
<table
align="center"
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKfGpH27Bu2bI-XnhG8LfKuUBH3jsiEnTCIDDEqetbbXKIv3X-YIzAJ8jsymX12W-VVIePwowXCMT39ay6HY6qiUePb8-cNaJXN9TUIRlkrWMY4nfvWc393M32ZLxkWI7ZbvoX7lOKiwQ9RBO5i45NzSINBDb8_uLMRswZPbVAxBfZT0ywFKEIleTBIY"
style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
><img
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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKfGpH27Bu2bI-XnhG8LfKuUBH3jsiEnTCIDDEqetbbXKIv3X-YIzAJ8jsymX12W-VVIePwowXCMT39ay6HY6qiUePb8-cNaJXN9TUIRlkrWMY4nfvWc393M32ZLxkWI7ZbvoX7lOKiwQ9RBO5i45NzSINBDb8_uLMRswZPbVAxBfZT0ywFKEIleTBIY=w300-h400"
width="300"
/></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Yeah, I really missed these!"</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br /><b>Saturday, September 23, 2023</b>
<p></p>
<p>
Saturday morning. Weather was beautiful. It was such a nice walk to the
National Arts Center for the professional development panels and the job fair.
Saw Bryce Hallett and Lynn there with an animation stand--two more friends
from Toronto. Took lots of notes at the morning session about thriving in
tough times. A lot of good info, much of which will make it into some of my
future lectures.
</p>
<p>
Stopped by the cosplay drawing area at the NAC before having shwarma's for
lunch. I really need to get better at drawing! Could've spent more time there
and I'm pretty sure it would've been very productive. At the beginning, I was
struggling and producing nothing but crap. So I took a step back and started
looking at action lines. I'd draw an ellipse for the models' heads then work
my way down their spines to their legs -- all following the line of action in
their poses. Within a couple drawings, everything started to open up. Then I
focused on proper proportions and a bit of perspective. The gains came much
faster. My arm loosened up and I shifted from drawing with my wrist to drawing
with my whole arm. More gains were immediately reflected in the quality of my
drawings. Didn't want the moment to end but had to get to the competition
screenings. I took a number of photographs so I could go back and do some more
drawings off of these models later on.
</p>
<p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWsqyxsfRrriFs-lYLOPZLYeTmkoivqeCToDmgBy76v9Wjj4-UtjcaMMeJm4i1Bj8OhiDb3MO2hIsJj9SCUOWDuPwCY8xPPJJwWQh2_NJD7hbPELR913_ZZvmFbE5pQJgGNOD2BL84oG2alsW-A52V59RwXgQ78E5vtI4eaq1k22CYyXMRiCi5-ZAMo8E"
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><img
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width="320"
/></a>
</div>
<br />Before leaving the NAC, I had the chance to chat with Bryce and Lynn. It
was far too brief. Afterwards, I made a mental note to attend the TAIS Winter
screening if at all possible. Have missed my friends in the Toronto animation
community terribly.
<p></p>
<p></p>
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<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnjmdD9E5_IoVHp14h2qrvxuqqOiKedNiHgJJ7LIrlSj2vP6FK1f6yT-4kEDSp9DIGlel1MhfZACsd0L3_SzJsiWCdlOn7PTWiAHiArZ_qhaoN8suSF4_Bju-nsWEXdaQ1dhM0w-py68r17C_tDFsdR0lWU54S32MnWcfV6lM8fr6fBTJiPPUD0JIBVZM"
style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
><img
alt=""
data-original-height="3024"
data-original-width="4032"
height="240"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnjmdD9E5_IoVHp14h2qrvxuqqOiKedNiHgJJ7LIrlSj2vP6FK1f6yT-4kEDSp9DIGlel1MhfZACsd0L3_SzJsiWCdlOn7PTWiAHiArZ_qhaoN8suSF4_Bju-nsWEXdaQ1dhM0w-py68r17C_tDFsdR0lWU54S32MnWcfV6lM8fr6fBTJiPPUD0JIBVZM"
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"
>Bryce Hallet (l) and Lynn Dana Wilton (r)</span
>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>
The competition screenings were pretty much what you'd expect. Chris has
stated to me that he programs the competition screenings "rhythmically". It
has felt to me and colleagues that the screenings have a "thematic"
sensibility--i.e. one screening is usually predominantly humorous, another
dramatic, one that usually deals with human sexuality, and so on. After
hearing from Chris about his process, I'd actually like to hear more about his
methodology--programming "rhythmically" sounds pretty fascinating. I've only
put together some private screenings for my friends or ASIFA events, so my
experience is limited and it's usually based upon building a program based
upon a variety of techniques and across several periods of time. This year, I
was informed that the competition screenings were based on the theme of
'gender-based violence'. Honestly, had I know that going in, I would've
skipped all the competition screenings and spent the entire day at the NAC
sketching cosplay models and going to the panel discussions. A lot of good
technique overall, but just not to my tastes. There definitely were
some really good films in competition though, like
<i>Living the Dream</i> by Director Ben Meinhardt.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
allowfullscreen=""
frameborder="0"
height="250"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LwUvEsWwWt0?si=uQmqwsmFbCT5tLIJ"
title="YouTube video player"
width="445"
></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
And <i>A Crab in the Pool</i> (directed by Alexandra Myotte and Jean-Sébastien
Hamel) was a very heartfelt look at two children coming to terms with their
mother's battle with breast cancer--see the trailer below.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
allowfullscreen=""
frameborder="0"
height="250"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-9ZfOeFBhPY?si=4WN3VPUtb7FsNGnr"
title="YouTube video player"
width="445"
></iframe>
</p>
<p>
But my favorite film from the entire festival was the the OIAF "Sponsorship
Reel" film by Chris Dainty and his crew. It's not on YouTube or Vimeo just
yet, but Chris posted it on his LinkedIn page. It's worth a watch!
</p>
<p>
Watch it here:
<a
href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daintyproductions_oiaf-oiaf2023-nature-activity-7112448913927798785-yPLI"
target="_blank"
>Dainty Productions on LinkedIn</a
>.
</p>
<p>
Seeing that little beaver flipping pages as he animates just gives me a
chuckle every time. Chris and his team perfectly encapsulated the feel of an
animation festival in Canada.
</p>
<p>
After the screenings, I had a decent meal at Level One -- but not until I had
tried out the "Caves" VR exhibit. Was nice to know that my new eyeglass
prescription allows me to see Virtual Reality, though it was a touch
uncomfortable trying to wear VR goggles and my glasses at the same time. Saw
Jim on the way in to the Saturday Night Party. Went to the 'drink and draw'
event and did a little more sketching. Continued focusing on line-of-action
and proportions. Continued to see immediate results, but still see so much
room for improvement. Before I left, I had the opportunity to talk with José
Pou from this morning's 'surviving in tough times' talk. We were on the same
page in so many ways: especially about how these downturns in the industry are
opportunities to hone your skills while you're looking for your next gig. That
and there's no shame in delivering pizzas or doing some other job while you're
out there looking for that dream animation job.
</p>
<p>
Then it was off to the hotel. Caught up with Jim. Ran a load of laundry and
started to pack for the trip home. Felt waves of nostalgia over the past
couple days. Saw some great people. It was well worth coming to the festival
this year. The only epiphany I had was that many of the films I watched kind
of reinforced the fact that I really want to make films that are funny and
uplifting. Sort of follow the Bill Plympton model of 'keep it short, keep it
funny'.
</p>
<div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjReJe_nOBKr3MFYasx_Ot_riDBayiQQVuAsDw_C8ISMWBekm_7gazTxh7fb12vjtK12DJrvF3DnkBWxPCXbSiIFgp0cWJDBtLzY_R1kU6o0Ivzz7cre1D5CQubuHQFouzRbVthmbvCD3lLyxsO709GduYc1wAATrxlaCQhNlihDUCzRziEjqZXHv1KBFQ"
style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
><img
alt=""
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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjReJe_nOBKr3MFYasx_Ot_riDBayiQQVuAsDw_C8ISMWBekm_7gazTxh7fb12vjtK12DJrvF3DnkBWxPCXbSiIFgp0cWJDBtLzY_R1kU6o0Ivzz7cre1D5CQubuHQFouzRbVthmbvCD3lLyxsO709GduYc1wAATrxlaCQhNlihDUCzRziEjqZXHv1KBFQ"
width="320"
/></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"
>"Just a fraction of the booths at the job fair."</span
>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br /><b>Sunday, September 24, 2023</b>
<p></p>
<p>
Technically I wasn't due back to the office until Tuesday morning. But
during the drive to Ottawa, I got a call from the office that the e-mail
wasn't working. I recognized the error message. It wasn't good. Nor was it
something that I could troubleshoot over the phone. I told them to use their
tablets to access their e-mail directly from the server and I'd fix it when
I got back. When we got to the hotel on Wednesday evening, I looked up some
possible solutions online--and also found a couple refurbished computers
from Micro Center if I had to do a full replacement. We got back to Michigan
around nine-ish in the evening. Jim left for home. I ran to McDonalds,
grabbed some dinner to go, and drove straight to the office. Three hours
later, and the computer problem had just gotten worse. I fixed the problem
(sort of), however, doing so required me to re-register the business
versions of Microsoft Office--and the boss's computer wouldn't talk to the
Microsoft servers. I went home, somewhat defeated. The next morning, I gave
the boss the options: buy a new computer and I'd transfer all the software
and data or I could call Microsoft and see if they could help. In short
order, I was driving down to Detroit with purchase orders for two computers.
So. Not the best end to my vacation, but it certainly had it's moments. And
I have to admit, it was nice to have that three hour drive down to Detroit
and back.
</p>
<p>
I did a lot of thinking about the trip during that short drive. Still don't
know if I'll get to go back to Ottawa next year. But it was definitely worth
attending the festival this year. Figured the best course of action was to
start saving up money now so that if I decided to go, everything would be
fully funded and all I would have to do is make some reservations and buy a
festival pass.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
<p>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"
>1. For a couple years now, I've been planning a future trip to see some
of the world's greatest art museums. I have already visited the Musee
d'Orsay, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, the
Art Gallery of Ontario, the Boston Museum of Fine Art, the New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the
National Art Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
D.C. On the list of museums to see are the Louvre, the Hermitage Museum in
Saint-Petersburg, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"
>2. And a rental car reserved as my car has over 285,000 miles and I
wasn't going to push my luck.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
</p>
</div>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-31991434078034247972023-09-19T00:00:00.034-04:002023-09-19T22:23:15.552-04:00Animated People: Carl "Skip" Battaglia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j1UqUyH4iLhtWwiQmfDKCOIfqtFW5RZ9zlJH3nfeEg2yRtu6eY6wN2Owb2wax7p3ho9sBeO46Yt7tjP7o4J3DUZxMHQiOixiyanA288eS5HxJf0NR7OUFLmOf5SZtRSztPeU7Wk4rrbxH7vhW1K_AActZ2JVpCu1nGRSJLO9cPj_k5W0vOl2mpc5j6Q/s1600/DSCI0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j1UqUyH4iLhtWwiQmfDKCOIfqtFW5RZ9zlJH3nfeEg2yRtu6eY6wN2Owb2wax7p3ho9sBeO46Yt7tjP7o4J3DUZxMHQiOixiyanA288eS5HxJf0NR7OUFLmOf5SZtRSztPeU7Wk4rrbxH7vhW1K_AActZ2JVpCu1nGRSJLO9cPj_k5W0vOl2mpc5j6Q/w400-h300/DSCI0873.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl "Skip" Battaglia, Stephanie Maxwell,<br />Marla Schweppe, Me. (l to r)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So it's Fall and I'm back teaching again. </p><p>One of my colleagues said that I should consider working on a film during my spare time and then showing it to my students on the last day of class. Sort of a "hey, I did this over the past four months in my spare time, think about what you could accomplish." Well, as I was shuffling through the backlog of stalled ideas and "y'know, if I ever get the time" sketches, I came across this little gem from my former professor Carl "Skip" Battaglia. Back in 2008, I was toying with the idea of an abstract animation but it didn't fit into the mold of narrative animations that I was used to using when designing films. As Skip is an accomplished animator who is very knowledgeable about experimental techniques, I reached out to him:</p><p>
</p><table border="1"><tbody><tr><td>
<p>Hi Skip,</p><p>Hope this letter finds you well. It was a real treat to talk to you and your daughter at Ottawa and see what you've been working on for the past year. Sorry that you didn't win the award for experimental/abstract animated short film, but was very happy to see your film in the competition. Well, after watching your latest film (and reviewing your Skip's Pics DVD), I've bumped up an abstract/experimental-style animation on my list of projects. The entire short animation deals with the techniques and artistic style that I'm learning about in my Oriental Watercolor class this semester. However, as I'm working through the planning stages of this film, I'm finding that the traditional treatment-script-storyboard-soundtrack method that I use to plan films just isn't lending itself very well to abstract expression. I'm getting kind of frustrated trying to get a film to fit into a mold that it wasn't designed for. So, I was wondering if you could suggest a couple of books that you use to plan your films that I could read?</p><p>Thanks Skip, and see you in Ottawa '08. Hopefully by then, I'll have a couple of films to run alongside you and Stephanie. And please give your daughter our best from me and Ted. Hope she does well in her final class. =)</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>Charles Wilson</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>
This was his response:
</p>
<table border="1"><tbody><tr><td>
<p>Hi Charles:</p><p>There are no hard-and-fast books in experimental design for animation.</p><p>I read philosophy and poetry, study painting. I have always listened to a lot of musics, including experimental, free jazz, South American, and African. My notebooks and sketches provoke some things. Knowledge about film continuity (which you have), animation production, storyboarding (pay attention to the vectors of movement; I arrow them in/over in red pencil) are helpful as the storyboard will come directly in response to your premise for the film.</p><p>Sometimes I begin with a rough idea, then score a musical track via ProTools to give me a scratch soundtrack to animate to for the sake of rhythm, tempo, drama -- and to have a timed track to give to a composer later.</p><p>Thinking historically, the books which have been most helpful are/were:</p><p>Rudolph Arhheim, "Art and Visual Perception."</p><p>H. Marshall McLuhan and Herley Parker, "Through the Vanishing Point."</p><p>"Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind."</p><p>books on graphic design, painting process...</p><p>... and everything I teach, and films I've viewed.</p><p>I'd also think about designing the film in reverse or out of sequence from your usual methods. It would enable a new approach (which seems to be what you're looking for).</p><p>Good to see you. Let me know how this goes.</p><p>Get loose!</p><p>Skip</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVZgfkLjMTG4Ockvd2FhpZBGyCDNGwamMqt8p0PrXx6GPguUPi_Le6dCNnqn-TAgp9MVYQb61TFbqy7BMII9_Am_C1OCWLdca97QBqSj_K_sr8Xje64KLDSmx8Xwfx9VHxc40FllGYYZ-BFdBsQiDWuqoizDaUiCpOXzTCBM3S4rmw8EkO6rsjHBKU3Y/s2048/RIT%20Reunion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVZgfkLjMTG4Ockvd2FhpZBGyCDNGwamMqt8p0PrXx6GPguUPi_Le6dCNnqn-TAgp9MVYQb61TFbqy7BMII9_Am_C1OCWLdca97QBqSj_K_sr8Xje64KLDSmx8Xwfx9VHxc40FllGYYZ-BFdBsQiDWuqoizDaUiCpOXzTCBM3S4rmw8EkO6rsjHBKU3Y/w400-h300/RIT%20Reunion.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Now, as I'm currently composing a short book on the importance of mentors for my nephews, I could go off on a rant about how important it is to maintain professional relationships with your professors after graduation and how important mentors are in your career. But to be honest, the main reason I posted this e-mail is because Skip has since retired and I want his knowledge to be shared with a much wider audience.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-4383542040426854582023-08-22T00:00:00.244-04:002023-08-22T00:00:00.144-04:00Animated Thoughts: Surrealism and Afternoon Tea at the FIA<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAI4awlufZynD8z6T2ooDaQE_JZU-GKaEGWTtlb6mvQAQTXnl56jAPzPzyni-qrNxeZ2BXiUNG_6O-0KV6vTrUmjCebUyHHeI55l7hD4VmZa9oygKALTdJ_v_B2drEghVFi7v44xRmW3sJlXnSULz4GqKgIZ82SKIMeIa-2aashT2SeZ-9iRmzrkPlIc/s4032/IMG_3391.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAI4awlufZynD8z6T2ooDaQE_JZU-GKaEGWTtlb6mvQAQTXnl56jAPzPzyni-qrNxeZ2BXiUNG_6O-0KV6vTrUmjCebUyHHeI55l7hD4VmZa9oygKALTdJ_v_B2drEghVFi7v44xRmW3sJlXnSULz4GqKgIZ82SKIMeIa-2aashT2SeZ-9iRmzrkPlIc/s320/IMG_3391.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>So I've been keeping my eye on events at the <a href="https://www.flintarts.org/" target="_blank">Flint Institute of Arts</a>. No matter how much I enjoy an afternoon at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the FIA is a little closer and while both the collection and the building are smaller, there are still very interesting things to see and do.<p></p><p>Case in point: this past month, they had two exhibits that were of particular interest to me. The first was "<a href="https://flintarts.org/event/13272" target="_blank">Beyond Dreams: Surrealism and Its Manifestations</a>", an exhibition of surrealism in art. The second was "<a href="https://flintarts.org/event/13429" target="_blank">the Art of Refreshment</a>", examples of cutlery and ceramics in food service.</p><p>Surrealism for me is one of those on-again/off-again interests. Dali always seemed pretty odd to me, but in a darkly good way--especially the short film <i>Destino</i> that he worked on at Disney. Man Ray's work was always visually thought provoking. And I spent a fair amount of time looking at the work of René Magritte as I was forming ideas for the visual style of my MFA thesis film. I ended up going in a different direction for my thesis, but I remember making a 3d animation using Electro-GIG 3D-GO with a distinct Magritte feel to it. The reference to Magritte is still there in my notes from March 21st, 1995. The animation was of a guy built out of simple primitive shapes that was running across a blue cloudy plane suspended in space against a blue cloudy backdrop. The "primitives" guy was also textured with the same blue sky and cloud pattern. I remember sitting there trying to finish it before the deadline with fellow animation grad Leah Bosworth sitting beside me and pointing out controls on the interface that would've taken me hours to figure it out had I been working on my own.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSdqmcaA9KHXKxXZzqGsXPviCD2NshN8oRuVimxuVr1V4lBmIHkEQfPKjOpe0ZkFWmsqxuubcVIkJb8TMAcMAlG7R8UNSPNVTvvD6uVIdQsPD4SOSkbqprUbLYLp6RQTyZSpcrMegJasxxnWC_J05YHq1Ob6WQgOaWQ8LZEPb2YrvmykAnyzGF7rbSqI/s666/oops.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSdqmcaA9KHXKxXZzqGsXPviCD2NshN8oRuVimxuVr1V4lBmIHkEQfPKjOpe0ZkFWmsqxuubcVIkJb8TMAcMAlG7R8UNSPNVTvvD6uVIdQsPD4SOSkbqprUbLYLp6RQTyZSpcrMegJasxxnWC_J05YHq1Ob6WQgOaWQ8LZEPb2YrvmykAnyzGF7rbSqI/w400-h139/oops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've also come to enjoy watching abstract animated films--mainly as a result of instruction by Marla Schweppe and through the films and instruction of Stephanie Maxwell and Skip Battaglia. So whenever I see an exhibit like "Beyond Dreams", I like to review those old lessons from my time at R.I.T. as I appreciate the artwork.</p><p>One of the things that I thought was most useful was that the curators had put up a 'Glossary of Surrealism' listing that defined several terms which were applicable to this art movement. Just a little something extra there to educate some and refresh the memories of others. It was appreciated.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonqgGVppaa_VUhYTrysogrnOQi_81AKFuRQlXy9mkjznAUgM3oCNO-OoAF5F0nHxZM0MDdGAoABcIWb_z7ZPNndk95jKNMtTqhljsIi4lniL6UfuDkshvCdfeF_74wbl6-pl5_VDs_BxMIv_uL5wyntl0-BUaWVvRPnRkh_Dh9WzkzmnbQ5GG5WSB_Bs/s4032/IMG_3397.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonqgGVppaa_VUhYTrysogrnOQi_81AKFuRQlXy9mkjznAUgM3oCNO-OoAF5F0nHxZM0MDdGAoABcIWb_z7ZPNndk95jKNMtTqhljsIi4lniL6UfuDkshvCdfeF_74wbl6-pl5_VDs_BxMIv_uL5wyntl0-BUaWVvRPnRkh_Dh9WzkzmnbQ5GG5WSB_Bs/s320/IMG_3397.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>As I walked around the exhibit, unlike last year's fantasy art exhibit, I had no real goal other than to look at whatever caught my eye. "Metronome" was one of those images that I just found enjoyable. There was nothing profound about it, it was just visually appealing, especially with it's use of light and shadow.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymRE93XHyfCHXgS9bZkwcsBF8BydVTsz_gxdyopFfh8x_E3D4j6NjMdeYLX1NSj1_E5gW4Rjj7_k1F3u1IKBIcvfhMiPq2EcaArudgiRhGEJ81EjqLbeOvLKmINtLL5kiZ0_7LQg4Ri8EJhLctMJ8gsRRlEZkZ7oQuL3N8gCkpQWgdDddF2T2rveLSsk/s4032/IMG_3398.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymRE93XHyfCHXgS9bZkwcsBF8BydVTsz_gxdyopFfh8x_E3D4j6NjMdeYLX1NSj1_E5gW4Rjj7_k1F3u1IKBIcvfhMiPq2EcaArudgiRhGEJ81EjqLbeOvLKmINtLL5kiZ0_7LQg4Ri8EJhLctMJ8gsRRlEZkZ7oQuL3N8gCkpQWgdDddF2T2rveLSsk/s320/IMG_3398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Metronome, 1990<br />by Scott Fraser</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This one, "Moving Skip Rope" by Harold Edgerton was of particular interest given that I'm an animator--and I really wish that I had been able to get a better picture, the lighting and the glass just worked against me. "Moving Skip Rope" is a photograph taken using a stroboscope flash which produced an image that was reminiscent of Muybridge's motion studies. The resulting artwork below is a dye transfer print.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DbIYAxUy_oDEzH1mOOWxlYyi8j2tQc6a6pnyFWCGJCNElEW-xMAGlSGBfB3xCXuVahuJVm-gx9l58P-BIYMGgc8-RD1xHoYTUec88B7U-rapS_LkGMfEbF-e8UXOxObA3oW-dr3sJrOuYoB0R19OzB_yDx8UxZ2uv4ZWTDLBrIW1RTrj1yrE9lGMUjI/s4032/IMG_3401.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DbIYAxUy_oDEzH1mOOWxlYyi8j2tQc6a6pnyFWCGJCNElEW-xMAGlSGBfB3xCXuVahuJVm-gx9l58P-BIYMGgc8-RD1xHoYTUec88B7U-rapS_LkGMfEbF-e8UXOxObA3oW-dr3sJrOuYoB0R19OzB_yDx8UxZ2uv4ZWTDLBrIW1RTrj1yrE9lGMUjI/s320/IMG_3401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moving Skip Rope, 1952<br />Harold Edgerton</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Then there was "Personnage" by Man Ray. This was another one of those that appealed to me as an animator. It reminded me of those early 1980's CGI animations where all the characters were made out of basic primitives (or the assignment that I produced back in '95).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P6AEx70EgRrDDLVPfkFZt86BjEmSSlzWYYnVmCdRDKXiyUIms_BDkz_8pnPWgycFZu9vOrkAeT7TmksIxigk_Jfuoq-g3aYHObwugK2tuCUk0Ru99V0vvuogs9TFmMOqultztkzoUyZ8pGxe7v6EbgrH0e9jawEk-YRVt6IwguBsCeZZlu7BbbQjBRE/s4032/IMG_3394.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P6AEx70EgRrDDLVPfkFZt86BjEmSSlzWYYnVmCdRDKXiyUIms_BDkz_8pnPWgycFZu9vOrkAeT7TmksIxigk_Jfuoq-g3aYHObwugK2tuCUk0Ru99V0vvuogs9TFmMOqultztkzoUyZ8pGxe7v6EbgrH0e9jawEk-YRVt6IwguBsCeZZlu7BbbQjBRE/s320/IMG_3394.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Personnage, 1975<br />Man Ray, 1890-1976</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaaKqZ3Ae7CmrGmHuDA_utkLcLV3Nj8Emix7vTpVkHc5MlMBZm-RJ77oW5NkhoKppQ9LIswz2AV4wcQSPqT0yJLW_RbPYTFa6aUVDPLn_jltvy41uVu2ZQObozHl37Mz6i64vwPwP7RjT5xuLpOFF5aRV7unxNxSc8_BgNRVfcT3T3xV0YYj03N6Q8LA/s4032/IMG_3412.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaaKqZ3Ae7CmrGmHuDA_utkLcLV3Nj8Emix7vTpVkHc5MlMBZm-RJ77oW5NkhoKppQ9LIswz2AV4wcQSPqT0yJLW_RbPYTFa6aUVDPLn_jltvy41uVu2ZQObozHl37Mz6i64vwPwP7RjT5xuLpOFF5aRV7unxNxSc8_BgNRVfcT3T3xV0YYj03N6Q8LA/s320/IMG_3412.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Afterwards, I sauntered across the hall to view the "Art of Refreshment" exhibit. There was a lot of beautiful glasswork in this exhibit but also some ceramics and some metal, ivory, stone, and silkwork.</div><div><br /></div><div>There really weren't any moments that provoked epiphanies in this exhibit, I just found it enjoyable. You could see that there was a lot of thought and skill put into making these mundane objects remarkable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the ones that really caught my eye were the following.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsb2CEnP8hc4DHEjm-ACh1CPcKGEQk_dm1p88bOKsId-H-H24mEq7M5macULcwi-tmR6SvO3Wa7gCGnL0qDYrp2sX2CtymLxdOe0RK5mH__L2odAOxF7pSacOnje5SOVAH_QGYUKVG8I_EBzt0QrthRrZ_KOpvpBqzJSZFKntYwvVJ6mgCmZ0kcHCHcAs/s4032/IMG_3419.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsb2CEnP8hc4DHEjm-ACh1CPcKGEQk_dm1p88bOKsId-H-H24mEq7M5macULcwi-tmR6SvO3Wa7gCGnL0qDYrp2sX2CtymLxdOe0RK5mH__L2odAOxF7pSacOnje5SOVAH_QGYUKVG8I_EBzt0QrthRrZ_KOpvpBqzJSZFKntYwvVJ6mgCmZ0kcHCHcAs/s320/IMG_3419.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaA-j0ueZFEfiHPLhF8-nNHJJzs1CV1NROP1xs_q5eM85QaI5R8pEj063leb9-2Hu89aQToH1JJbTZKGCaiRfrCL4gyUJRjFhhIOB9ieYfLO2sPtIPH9Iy9WtSHHczxtSecXci58BM_8G_ymF4QdYgvQIa75Pq6KySiFoetqi_t3pi5Z1bPE7AHcutvo/s4032/IMG_3410.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaA-j0ueZFEfiHPLhF8-nNHJJzs1CV1NROP1xs_q5eM85QaI5R8pEj063leb9-2Hu89aQToH1JJbTZKGCaiRfrCL4gyUJRjFhhIOB9ieYfLO2sPtIPH9Iy9WtSHHczxtSecXci58BM_8G_ymF4QdYgvQIa75Pq6KySiFoetqi_t3pi5Z1bPE7AHcutvo/s320/IMG_3410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XjUHVaRlW9K4p_oCSxNgqQWewmNSOQx-pBwezRsXlOSmhw6ZInMfqbRzBo_TxT4ADonslgLWX1UG5PTUhVfIgWIRhdB_MuEIZLp_VS1sJSMxXOin3SBmlHbaR5Sr1yAdtScq7yX-64qmRuti_5dNrTNLdipNQwDaABDWnnPiOJmQokxag2qGxIF5sn0/s4032/IMG_3406.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XjUHVaRlW9K4p_oCSxNgqQWewmNSOQx-pBwezRsXlOSmhw6ZInMfqbRzBo_TxT4ADonslgLWX1UG5PTUhVfIgWIRhdB_MuEIZLp_VS1sJSMxXOin3SBmlHbaR5Sr1yAdtScq7yX-64qmRuti_5dNrTNLdipNQwDaABDWnnPiOJmQokxag2qGxIF5sn0/s320/IMG_3406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5DdNMlBUwysDsQekOmRtOKzi0dxlr4Vd_hrtSmyu7m_EWCBp7mULNhrmW7bHkcCGU5GM6HsSlrEDUAqRDZkkoqguqEjSLsaL4Eafcn9IF_Ua_RwCpSLOZlTIIUmE14upMNS32KR0bK0_Qeoh_hESMzbLoJvICBoW07kcnVPEpCQXdaxS6KTxqyVMxXU/s4032/IMG_3415.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5DdNMlBUwysDsQekOmRtOKzi0dxlr4Vd_hrtSmyu7m_EWCBp7mULNhrmW7bHkcCGU5GM6HsSlrEDUAqRDZkkoqguqEjSLsaL4Eafcn9IF_Ua_RwCpSLOZlTIIUmE14upMNS32KR0bK0_Qeoh_hESMzbLoJvICBoW07kcnVPEpCQXdaxS6KTxqyVMxXU/s320/IMG_3415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So, while my trips to Flint may not be the events like what I experience in Detroit--a day of appreciating art along with a nice meal, followed by some drawing in the galleries--but what the FIA does have over the DIA is this luxurious library of artbooks with chairs and sofas that you can lounge in while reading. I'm reluctant to share photos of it because it's one of those 'best kept secrets'. I closed out my trip by spending an hour paging through books filled with historical pictures of Chinese and Japanese brushwork. Lots of food for my imagination.</div><div><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>* * *</b></div></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-28282095936783330232023-07-25T00:00:00.022-04:002023-07-25T23:19:38.192-04:00Animated Events: Capital City Comic Con<p></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjekWjZ5cSSO-oDvsHUyLUlMma4oTcVDXCZZnzkdYB3Vt_HiO3ou2I6DHv8luU_HgD3nl98rV8j7bGIZY-yfVCNsq9ddKuylm7O_Mn7lfqv88LMAyRfKcH3hrew0-ujX2lH2-quiXJMArqKzMLjeIW1ASC0SCQHWIJ_X3g63XLMtgOpr_E154t4HuagNCM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjekWjZ5cSSO-oDvsHUyLUlMma4oTcVDXCZZnzkdYB3Vt_HiO3ou2I6DHv8luU_HgD3nl98rV8j7bGIZY-yfVCNsq9ddKuylm7O_Mn7lfqv88LMAyRfKcH3hrew0-ujX2lH2-quiXJMArqKzMLjeIW1ASC0SCQHWIJ_X3g63XLMtgOpr_E154t4HuagNCM" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<br />Well, C4 has come and gone. As I was running a tabletop miniatures wargame
at a local store, I didn't get to be there as long as I would have liked on
Saturday but the time I was at the con over the whole weekend was time well
spent.
<p></p>
<p>
Back in the day, like 2002-2004, two gentlemen ran a local gaming convention
called "Foundation". My brother and I would run wargames at the con and for
those two years we were a top draw with some showcase events like tournaments,
how-to-play events, and a paint-and-take table. Well, sadly Foundation came to
an end but years later one of them joined up with some other friends and
started the Capital City Comic Con (C4).
</p>
<p>
I'll admit it, I really enjoy the convention experience: looking at the
artwork, doing a little shopping, playing some demo games, but my favorite
activity is attending panels and lectures to learn more about my field of
study. There's just something special about being able to talk to people who
are out there forging their own paths and willing to share their knowledge and
experience.
</p>
<p>
This year, the two foreign comics panels were especially interesting. There's
some fascinating history about comic books that you don't often hear about.
The first panel was more about valuation, rarity, and pricing for the
collectors market but the second was a more in-depth history of the foreign
comic book market running back to around the 1930's and '40's up to the
present day. It's probably due to a fair amount of myopia on my part, but I
was surprised to see how the foreign market had a lot more nuance than just
simple one-to-one translations of existing books. Apparently during the '70's,
when Marvel was just trying to survive, it appeared that foreign writers and
artists had a lot more freedom to make changes to the content of the books and
covers. There were also changes made due to foreign censorship and
sensibilities--and word translations that work in English but not in other
languages.
</p>
<p></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZMB4SY7mi7yx6ig1PrO1QelYXgE0DwdNnmMiGO2fGSQxAEkg7sSm8In18WoAQWoAf0-KzlhcvQ1jvBmJ7XgIWz7bMSjBRhsUrW_VacPs6xR6DafP7nKCNsUn5Fit_mKjZlenrIh5MQy_jQBaghQrwYiNwiCPLZSV236qQN5IqB8H9_S8cXSrzcDKVmjY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZMB4SY7mi7yx6ig1PrO1QelYXgE0DwdNnmMiGO2fGSQxAEkg7sSm8In18WoAQWoAf0-KzlhcvQ1jvBmJ7XgIWz7bMSjBRhsUrW_VacPs6xR6DafP7nKCNsUn5Fit_mKjZlenrIh5MQy_jQBaghQrwYiNwiCPLZSV236qQN5IqB8H9_S8cXSrzcDKVmjY" width="180" /></a>
</div>
One of the more interesting things I noted was how the German imprint for the
Amazing Spider-Man was called "Die Spinne". Y'see, back in 1986, Marvel
published the Spider-Man vs. Wolverine one-shot crossover with the "High
Tide"storyline. In it, Peter Parker and Logan team up while in East Germany. As
he didn't bring his black bodysuit, Peter has to buy a Spider-Man costume from a
store. On the back of the outfit, in the middle of the spider logo, are the
words "Die Spinne"--English translation: "the Spider". At the time, I was never
able to figure out why it was there. And the suit actually showed up years later
in another comic after Peter and Mary Jane got married. She moves into his loft
apartment and they start paring down the extra costumes so she can have some
room for her clothes. The first suit they pull out of the closet is the German
suit from the crossover issue.
<p></p>
<p>
So, some thirty-plus years later, after learning about the German imprint of
Amazing Spider-Man, why the suit from Spider-Man vs. Wolverine had the words
"Die Spinne" printed on the back all made sense. And I have to admit that it
was a pretty neat Easter egg at the time for all of those in the know back
then.
</p>
<p>
Another standout for me over the weekend was the indie comic production and
self-publishing panels. These weren't as well attended as I they should have
been, but the small numbers did lead to some very interesting interactions
between the crowd and panelists. In both panels, they were very interested in
hearing about my animation work, as much as I was in their graphic design and
publishing experience. Still, I would gladly have sacrificed some of that
interaction if it meant that more kids who want to get into comics would've
been able to hear some of the great advice and experiences that the panelists
were giving away.
</p>
<p></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilo0WsTz6UL5w5X2H0ab-R_mk_dDPuIHh5ecmHPdk--o174G-U9tA555IkAFlHIkEKI_xCioNMMfDcZGbfgRX-L7PE2btjNVhYushKrB7WhD_1V0p65Lo4kfS7j6XCUYfBQ2xJIq7KWEsyPmAZ98zPHs5ppql_Z0cvDTFSp6rdQjnfz0c_hZiuDsVueZY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilo0WsTz6UL5w5X2H0ab-R_mk_dDPuIHh5ecmHPdk--o174G-U9tA555IkAFlHIkEKI_xCioNMMfDcZGbfgRX-L7PE2btjNVhYushKrB7WhD_1V0p65Lo4kfS7j6XCUYfBQ2xJIq7KWEsyPmAZ98zPHs5ppql_Z0cvDTFSp6rdQjnfz0c_hZiuDsVueZY" width="180" /></a>
</div>
Well, as with any convention nowadays, the cosplayers were out in force. I found
one of the X-Men walking around: Cyclops, from the early 1990's--one of my
favorite periods of time where Marvel was producing some of the best written,
best drawn issues of the series; due in large part to folks like Chris
Claremont, Mark Silvestri, and Jim Lee.
<p></p>
<p>
And you know you have to get a photo when you purchase a poster for
<i>Arcane</i> and you walk around the corner just in time to come face-to-face
with K/DA Ahri! As much as I love to see K/DA or True Damage characters from
League of Legends, I have to admit that I'm a little crestfallen that I don't
see more people cosplaying the characters from <i>Arcane</i>. You see Jinx and
Vi every so often, but the costume design was so amazing, I'd love to see a
Jayce or Mel Medarda walking around in formal outfits.
</p>
<p></p>
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcdU9QwW304RxMSkcwUmeTVtWN23EpyPmIsYS7t99loszD_klWkbsInzyOeSsUy4VXcaO-Dsnp3S2N-ltzp4m7ett_1P9BPnEhTGs0ahw7Z7s2SFLwcrxWSNEFj5Nxvs9c0v1Lsc-QElhVFwO7qXWc6cU_npypR37pIGJOJ7udK0krR-QhCzsVOc-oAMk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcdU9QwW304RxMSkcwUmeTVtWN23EpyPmIsYS7t99loszD_klWkbsInzyOeSsUy4VXcaO-Dsnp3S2N-ltzp4m7ett_1P9BPnEhTGs0ahw7Z7s2SFLwcrxWSNEFj5Nxvs9c0v1Lsc-QElhVFwO7qXWc6cU_npypR37pIGJOJ7udK0krR-QhCzsVOc-oAMk=w240-h320" width="240" /></a>
</td>
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<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
"I'll show you what I'm made of<br />
Rise to the occasion<br />
Got fears, but I face them, oh-oh"
</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div>While it's my policy to purchase something from a vendor or two and some
art from the independent artists/writers if at all possible, I did stick to my
budget for the con. Though I have some regrets when I saw some of the amazing
artwork that was for sale at the silent auction. Think I'll set aside some extra
cash during the year just to bid on an illustration or two next year. Or, maybe
spring for the VIP ticket and attend the "Drink-and-Draw" event to do a little
creating of my own.</div><p></p>
<p></p>
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyL-yfk-MMyRWloDcBDEM9N-Gh8yjmUviJ31q-jeyEfC_jO04WUaxDElq6ItLzrv7rYB5p6E4HNdBN8cJr6ymUDPV6nPRvr1DFx8H_FD8n6Pcm-y_fstYbUH1mTw-z6IRGPLAcA4Iz2zh9F5FSQi74mpwmI0ARpP39J9hIiAfgJ69sWEJx7WmK3bSKeXc" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyL-yfk-MMyRWloDcBDEM9N-Gh8yjmUviJ31q-jeyEfC_jO04WUaxDElq6ItLzrv7rYB5p6E4HNdBN8cJr6ymUDPV6nPRvr1DFx8H_FD8n6Pcm-y_fstYbUH1mTw-z6IRGPLAcA4Iz2zh9F5FSQi74mpwmI0ARpP39J9hIiAfgJ69sWEJx7WmK3bSKeXc" width="180" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
"Yep, He is Groot!"
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br />In the end, Capital City Comic Con is a great example of a local
convention. With so much attention going to larger cons like Gen Con or San
Diego Comic Con, it's refreshing to see local cons like C4 who are able to
provide an excellent experience in our home towns. I'm already looking forward
to next year (and planning out my budget).
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-11462690397840660562023-06-30T00:00:00.319-04:002023-06-30T00:00:00.154-04:00Animated People: Erik Timmerman<p><br /></p>
<p></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjglqelTQiJEUthp69-s9tF4EUWd9Sq5ivJ3xI6m546ziAbyBxi2HP2d3vnOMiv_YL83yh8i3YV5t0p83ktOfz0owy3-X7i417_U2_9UidLz4b8wCFUPYvpaBbCTLlz8SPzlOMyJYKfyEBdxQPuerZ09sDOdn1Jp1_oThCM19bU04LpeBtqDK2LSH9X" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Blue Cactus" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjglqelTQiJEUthp69-s9tF4EUWd9Sq5ivJ3xI6m546ziAbyBxi2HP2d3vnOMiv_YL83yh8i3YV5t0p83ktOfz0owy3-X7i417_U2_9UidLz4b8wCFUPYvpaBbCTLlz8SPzlOMyJYKfyEBdxQPuerZ09sDOdn1Jp1_oThCM19bU04LpeBtqDK2LSH9X=w400-h300" width="400" /></a>
</td>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
The Blue Cactus Bar & Grill
</td>
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<br /><div>One of those Ottawa International Animation Festival experiences that remains near to my heart is
when I bumped into Erik at the festival back in 1996. He was going to have
lunch at the Blue Cactus Bar & Grill with graduates Ted Pratt, Bill
Trainor, and a young lady whose name I don't recall.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
I do remember that while taking the graduate computer animation program
classes, she moonlighted as one of the models for the figure drawing class to
make a little extra cash. She rode a motorcycle and she kept calling Erik "E.T.". Both she and
Bill were working at Xerox at the time. At the festival's closing day party,
she and I sat outside the building and talked for a little over an hour --
well, she talked mostly. Nice enough girl, but hard to get a word in edgewise.
Lot of life experiences packed into a few short years, that one.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
Bill was wound a little tight but a decent enough guy. Didn't talk much,
seemed lost in his own thoughts most of the time. He was the Grad Lab
Supervisor before me and had helped me recover and distribute a Director Lingo
script that allowed students to automatically export Director image frames
from the computer to an optical disk recorder. Oddly enough, I still have the
script file in my archives.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0hkaxZAuOn1ccpLHtQfaa-LSrPMBpULpUZsO_j7x7L2MI1S3BtvSHYilKjojYIyPOhUEA36UXsbpaVyMfv5kDzNb03phP5Dy5asrOGyojCnYNY29TnDe7cA88uAPhfh9fJuDNDU-BWQgJe8wzGx15E0GSg83nCmcw1Nrh9o2az0foTle-XV_OAcV/s1170/strangeness%20in%20the%20night.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1170" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0hkaxZAuOn1ccpLHtQfaa-LSrPMBpULpUZsO_j7x7L2MI1S3BtvSHYilKjojYIyPOhUEA36UXsbpaVyMfv5kDzNb03phP5Dy5asrOGyojCnYNY29TnDe7cA88uAPhfh9fJuDNDU-BWQgJe8wzGx15E0GSg83nCmcw1Nrh9o2az0foTle-XV_OAcV/s320/strangeness%20in%20the%20night.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Strangeness in the Night</i> by Ted Pratt
</td>
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<div><br /></div>
<div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-pratt-5914831/" target="_blank">Ted Pratt</a> was a good guy (still is, afaik, we haven't talked in a couple of years). When
Erik introduced us, I immediately recognized his name from the R.I.T. demo
reel that the department sent me during my senior year at Taylor. It was a VHS
tape that had Ted's student graduate film <i><a href="https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/8449/" target="_blank">Strangeness in the Night</a></i>, among
others. At the festival's closing picnic, Ted was very encouraging, reassuring me that "yes, there were jobs out there for graduates and I'd have no trouble making enough money to pay off my student loans."</div>
<div><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkDzuIsNkNsLjsaJwEVR8tL3XtqfmVHERUoLNY-pSquCcuShSSx-FfZr8B-MiMLj0msaSp7ODrncYSbTV3OeczjRRwGkF72YMFs_driIVt3QnEmfqrdK3HJ9GNUPmnECMMTrOjrv8WpXC5VB-2er7_RPUR3f_MGRXdGWWAYmOlTSkGeAaWSGupQB/s1170/Shadowpuppets1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1170" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkDzuIsNkNsLjsaJwEVR8tL3XtqfmVHERUoLNY-pSquCcuShSSx-FfZr8B-MiMLj0msaSp7ODrncYSbTV3OeczjRRwGkF72YMFs_driIVt3QnEmfqrdK3HJ9GNUPmnECMMTrOjrv8WpXC5VB-2er7_RPUR3f_MGRXdGWWAYmOlTSkGeAaWSGupQB/s320/Shadowpuppets1.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Shadowpuppets</i> by Chuck Gamble
</td>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;">
I still have that VHS tape and ended up digitizing the films for my R.I.T. archive project years ago--including films like:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.chuckgamble.com/" target="_blank">Chuck Gamble</a>'s <i><a href="https://youtu.be/WnltLPf8KcM" target="_blank">Shadowpuppets</a>, </i>which was the first ever computer animated student film shown at the SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater; </span></li><li><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-walsh-a17b106/?originalSubdomain=ca" target="_blank">Christopher Walsh</a>'s <i><a href="https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/3728/" target="_blank">Uaguzi</a>. </i>He went on to animate the flying dagger in 1994's <i>the Shadow</i> after graduating from R.I.T. and still works in the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0909590/" target="_blank">VFX </a>industry;</span></li><li><span style="text-align: left;">Hikmet Safuoglu's trippy film <i><a href="https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/5356/" target="_blank">within normal limits</a></i>, which was animated to the equally trippy song '<a href="https://youtu.be/vB8dweYCLes" target="_blank">I Robot</a>' by the Alan Parsons Project;</span></li><li><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.rit.edu/directory/eroics-elouise-oyzon" target="_blank">Elouise Oyzon</a>'s beautiful first year film <i>conjugations</i>. She went on to teach at R.I.T.'s School of Interactive Games and Media. I still see her occasionally at the class reunions;</span></li><li><span style="text-align: left;">And the delightful <i>Ignorance is Bliss?</i> which <a href="https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses/4406/" target="_blank">M. Shan Yeung</a> animated to look exactly like a Chinese ink painting.</span></li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6_1hSL_cylJJyG9q458g3sn3HZAI-KZQdfA2X7_tzxSMDYBRiiwGlhqYyhGuZNF_yY0WRXysYHvyXMuQR8BsYUKGaIQX1p1P8rdKkCleEyPQLUf5QbcM7JFJbfK0ub-P8uKjwC5wEvwwKY7KE52FKmxUukH5T8JDebMYC0nXpehpzARcd92ROf3o/s1170/Ignorance%20is%20Bliss.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1170" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6_1hSL_cylJJyG9q458g3sn3HZAI-KZQdfA2X7_tzxSMDYBRiiwGlhqYyhGuZNF_yY0WRXysYHvyXMuQR8BsYUKGaIQX1p1P8rdKkCleEyPQLUf5QbcM7JFJbfK0ub-P8uKjwC5wEvwwKY7KE52FKmxUukH5T8JDebMYC0nXpehpzARcd92ROf3o/s320/Ignorance%20is%20Bliss.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Ignorance is Bliss?</i> by M. Shan Yueng
</td>
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<div>
I once asked Elouise if she had a copy of her graduate thesis that I could
show at a class I was teaching. She said that it was all on an old computer. She wasn't even sure if she could recover the film anymore. And while I
was sad for her, I was doubly glad that I had preserved that VHS tape. I have
to wonder, how many people will get to see these beautiful student films from
the early years of computer animation (1990 to 1993)? I once tried to get copies of these films uploaded to RIT's student film archive "SOFAtube". Unfortunately
my efforts were unsuccessful, a victim of university politics.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CFUmtGgq8f76g8of45exWAdfp4EL04Lx08R4f6DSfHM39fecu8uyQ2YyNUDabWlcPvHUhxw031f8k6YCDwpvJ947bCuFt9kAmeVEbTpDoGMPApNaIbwQzqCcOUL-7ajId-OxhXRoBZbpPLLqIpndU8je_BqD8wGcNuYUXgnIWvzJEkDkvFaqdpdK/s1170/conjugations.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="1170" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CFUmtGgq8f76g8of45exWAdfp4EL04Lx08R4f6DSfHM39fecu8uyQ2YyNUDabWlcPvHUhxw031f8k6YCDwpvJ947bCuFt9kAmeVEbTpDoGMPApNaIbwQzqCcOUL-7ajId-OxhXRoBZbpPLLqIpndU8je_BqD8wGcNuYUXgnIWvzJEkDkvFaqdpdK/s320/conjugations.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<i>conjugations</i> by Elouise Oyzon
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Each one of these films was produced by students in the graduate computer animation
program that Erik founded at R.I.T. Each of these films has Erik's
fingerprints on them. How many students entering R.I.T.'s graduate animation program will see that plaque on the wall with Erik's name on it and wonder who he was or what influence he had on the films we produced during his tenure?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Back to Ottawa:
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As the five of us sat there at the Blue Cactus, it wasn't about work or school or imparting any great lessons about life or anything like that. At that moment, Erik wasn't just my professor or my mentor, he was my friend. He talked to all of us as you would talk to friends. A couple days later, we'd all go back to Rochester and fall back into those roles of professor and student, but for that moment, we were just a couple of people sitting at a pub talking about animated films like we'd known each other our whole lives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Erik was undergoing chemotherapy, he didn't want any of his students to see him or the toll that the treatment took on him. But fortunately, Ted Pratt didn't listen. Since he lived a short ways away from where Erik was convalescing in Berkley, Ted drove out there to see him. While I knew Erik was sick, I had no idea to what extent. He didn't talk about it much. I tried to keep in touch with him and sent him a 'get well soon' basket of fruit and veggies, which he appreciated. He had moved out to California by then. His college girlfriend was taking care of him during his chemotherapy and Erik wanted to be closer to his children Erica and Kristofer. While still in Rochester, I helped him translate a computer program he had written in BASIC to something that would run on a PowerPC. He wanted to update a film he had made years earlier. It was all about spirograph drawings animated to a jazz soundtrack. He and I never finished it. Producing an experimental animated film while he was on chemo was a tall order, but I still feel like I failed him. We could produce the images he wanted, no problem, but we just couldn't get the PowerPC to talk to the optical disk recorder. Erik left for Berkeley shortly thereafter.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div>That was some of the last contact I had with him. We exchanged a couple e-mails after that but I got busy with life over those two years and Erik was undergoing a regimen of treatments and healing. Then, a couple months after messaging me that his cancer was in remission and he was feeling optimistic about the future, I got the e-mail from Marla about Erik's death.</div><div><br /></div><div>To say that her message hit me like a ton of bricks is an understatement. My friend was gone and I was left with only six years of memories. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for those six years. But the point of my rambling is this: the things that we thought were important at the time more often than not end up being inconsequential when compared to every lost moment that we could have spent with our family and friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>Social media has brought many evils, but it's also done us a great service by allowing people to transcend time and distance in order to reconnect. Physical letters are fine and all, but they cannot compare to the conversational nature of an e-mail or instant messaging. So I encourage you to savor those moments in the now where you can talk to people you care about. And take a moment to contact those who have drifted away, even if it's just to say 'hi, how have you been?' Some day, you may find yourself longing for those precious moments where you can hear your friend's voice one last time.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>* * *</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-36519190773534999522023-06-26T10:43:00.001-04:002023-06-26T10:43:39.033-04:00Animated Thoughts: Shuo Feng - Po Zhen Zi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkv7eiOHdyaUHDkPTdTWLTzaHtne2bDO5oFxC1xK9UswXcr5AmEQBKsZfgdS8pOlbG-PaLzJh5KKHsDaajNN8_uUcpIg24SijECYwAnoZEwyr5jhNzLwed6x3YANDZTdOLFM9i2pzDfE2mjCB-A6c7kI_LjhbjhoUdYzz5a5g3t183f4MivdcRSBaqc8o/s1179/North%20Wind%201.jpg"
imageanchor="1"
style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"
><img
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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkv7eiOHdyaUHDkPTdTWLTzaHtne2bDO5oFxC1xK9UswXcr5AmEQBKsZfgdS8pOlbG-PaLzJh5KKHsDaajNN8_uUcpIg24SijECYwAnoZEwyr5jhNzLwed6x3YANDZTdOLFM9i2pzDfE2mjCB-A6c7kI_LjhbjhoUdYzz5a5g3t183f4MivdcRSBaqc8o/w400-h169/North%20Wind%201.jpg"
width="400"
/></a>
</div>
<p>
Still patiently waiting for <i>Shuo Feng - Po Zhen Zi</i> (<i>North Wind: Broken Time</i>) to reach the North American market. It's times like this that I keenly feel the loss of the Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema as this is clearly one of those films that Joe Chen would move heaven and earth to show at WFAC. A cursory search on the
internet reveals announcements back in 2020 for the film while will be
produced by Nice Boat Animation. The animation in the trailer is stunning and
it appears to be a Chinese historical drama, apparently an adaptation of
<i><b>Shuo Feng Fei Yang</b></i> by A Nu. And I'm all for it, personally. I
love it when different countries develop animated films based on their own
history, culture, stories, and art styles. It brings so much more to the
community as a whole when foreign animation markets produce something original
as opposed to the usual attempts at replicating the latest Disney/Pixar or
Anime film. Some of my favorites in the past have been films like South
Korea's <i>Leafie a Hen into the Wild</i> and
<i>Padak Padak (Swimming to Sea), </i>China's <i>White Snake</i> and
Serbia's <i>Technotise, Edit i Ja (Technotise: Edit & I).</i>
</p>
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<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnV6Gzn82gM9Wdgscj0e8oT-qFUaStEPdJy0j8SYd4Hd8-IvdEQoRKnNUY-edch6EeHzVjRHzmRBpjCT5IQwov-Suo4W4hP0mjKPcluWdj7CyQYSRI86vApi-qH8IjWX0rYp_i6dKVSv8100fv6c4YWyypw585auTD-eIw8C1Pd4xCAT62UgLYnxbwJQ/s1179/North%20Wind%202.jpg"
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><img
border="0"
data-original-height="497"
data-original-width="1179"
height="169"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnV6Gzn82gM9Wdgscj0e8oT-qFUaStEPdJy0j8SYd4Hd8-IvdEQoRKnNUY-edch6EeHzVjRHzmRBpjCT5IQwov-Suo4W4hP0mjKPcluWdj7CyQYSRI86vApi-qH8IjWX0rYp_i6dKVSv8100fv6c4YWyypw585auTD-eIw8C1Pd4xCAT62UgLYnxbwJQ/w400-h169/North%20Wind%202.jpg"
width="400"
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<p>
If the trailer below is any indication, <i>Shuo Feng - Po Zhen Zi</i> is going
to be one of those must see/must have in the collection films. And while it'll
be too late for me to talk much about it in my History of Animation Class this
semester, I'll enjoy playing the trailer for my students and providing what
little I know of the as-yet-to-be-released film.
</p>
<iframe
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vUzWu5APVlY"
title="YouTube video player"
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></iframe>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-37862500181196937372023-06-13T00:00:00.072-04:002023-06-13T18:12:45.764-04:00Animated Events: No Accounting, just butterfliesOkay, so it's Summer here in Michigan. I've been writing so much fantasy setting
fiction for an upcoming game that I don't feel like writing anything
animation-related... and the only animation work I've done is for an
advertisement that I can't show just yet (hopefully). So, here's some more of
those lovely butterflies and landscapes from the Frederik Meijer Gardens that I
encountered this Spring.
<div><br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikkKX9YO-Ux-Q6jQKjRk5mAm4jx-9vvkVP6QlIbawhNk38xltU2l7X0wFGRrIVfsyEfOztwgrmTQmbUJHPkRwifSe77a9ZWKhzeDEmUcfiKN3t9qUn8kNyIFoygCp02Zivgalsj3ynagW9oZNZW2Ic07ewWDbUKL_wlFwnxNg_q2d3RSu5RjJKV07K" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikkKX9YO-Ux-Q6jQKjRk5mAm4jx-9vvkVP6QlIbawhNk38xltU2l7X0wFGRrIVfsyEfOztwgrmTQmbUJHPkRwifSe77a9ZWKhzeDEmUcfiKN3t9qUn8kNyIFoygCp02Zivgalsj3ynagW9oZNZW2Ic07ewWDbUKL_wlFwnxNg_q2d3RSu5RjJKV07K" width="320" /></a>
</td>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Small Postman<br />(Heliconius melpomene)
</td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw1Dh2YYgNKO5hatAa-ksttyeJhj5nuWuJ7MHwxtx30G7wmdgvkcW3KSbpe2nU6ezULSR5vUOXYRQxKE4LYjcLn4OZQWIPJylwQQ-IAiMCxGOyVxXgPhdSIs0NSlxemx2BO9DvvUfl6uTMOGr-0-dJu5YF61chBeESTNvRnmgAVW2uGptmagwviwEn" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw1Dh2YYgNKO5hatAa-ksttyeJhj5nuWuJ7MHwxtx30G7wmdgvkcW3KSbpe2nU6ezULSR5vUOXYRQxKE4LYjcLn4OZQWIPJylwQQ-IAiMCxGOyVxXgPhdSIs0NSlxemx2BO9DvvUfl6uTMOGr-0-dJu5YF61chBeESTNvRnmgAVW2uGptmagwviwEn" width="320" /></a>
</td>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Common Morpho<br />(Morpho peleides)
</td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdyEXmILda-DDUgWG9TngWhOEnHjFjzeuQILwxaeQSQq7Qs8qrnZOHm8hucHctRu-LtmpjZ4SJjOL9fQeoETDpuC5BtLuia4jtu7zKPmdpZsCnrmNpjI5q08sDsBeQlqskqNDfnRzyHfEtv3_Z1P102O3BrGTj7xQ6XYKEDQvp_9NhmGSM17SlJVMy" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdyEXmILda-DDUgWG9TngWhOEnHjFjzeuQILwxaeQSQq7Qs8qrnZOHm8hucHctRu-LtmpjZ4SJjOL9fQeoETDpuC5BtLuia4jtu7zKPmdpZsCnrmNpjI5q08sDsBeQlqskqNDfnRzyHfEtv3_Z1P102O3BrGTj7xQ6XYKEDQvp_9NhmGSM17SlJVMy" width="320" /></a>
</td>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Tiger Longwing<br />(Heliconius hecale)
</td>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TE_9DFWjq_s" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
</div>
Butterfly resting by waterfall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT9eu00WJN_xOwe4NbvWaU0-yBbR-dC6nMOP0u_wZb2IwxVp_gXsiuI30WQOeYcUBgKBykcHqSJRquXxphcQKNWip5QnCLtnSehuTfOr7EdzQl8oq8TDH3J3UU3cXwvk8No2is40_MwvjxdPbT9mHSuchaLZ4f2e4JyN4gl1U0l4HLjdmCsoiOzFgJ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjT9eu00WJN_xOwe4NbvWaU0-yBbR-dC6nMOP0u_wZb2IwxVp_gXsiuI30WQOeYcUBgKBykcHqSJRquXxphcQKNWip5QnCLtnSehuTfOr7EdzQl8oq8TDH3J3UU3cXwvk8No2is40_MwvjxdPbT9mHSuchaLZ4f2e4JyN4gl1U0l4HLjdmCsoiOzFgJ" width="320" /></a>
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Definitely worth having in a D&D setting!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYGzInMSaEYrq9CgCJqAR4dqh-9RGfHjmx0t7dFKd6zHQZw_bNyMLPemE7wuYJBaS-WQBfgAUus0mptV4MaZyrbLD9XGO281h-v8M_fukyMdvsF37iiuSPHzInYdlbx07jYENDiaY6_EvtfdxfFT5b7OxUXS6EjOXmHblQeDQVCJW-F5qM90sj09Mm" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYGzInMSaEYrq9CgCJqAR4dqh-9RGfHjmx0t7dFKd6zHQZw_bNyMLPemE7wuYJBaS-WQBfgAUus0mptV4MaZyrbLD9XGO281h-v8M_fukyMdvsF37iiuSPHzInYdlbx07jYENDiaY6_EvtfdxfFT5b7OxUXS6EjOXmHblQeDQVCJW-F5qM90sj09Mm" width="320" /></a>
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Lovely container (all mine at home are filled<br />with
vegetables and herbs).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiohIbqZGdY90u5j6nZs7ytAmRddKXoz9aydQzrhVEV_0a0TVLjm7pfSoWC-dVUt9mlLRPVpt2YLkTOTs5tIBkfJgH2zFTOV2y_quwqDX5LSbkSNY5gWCmp2Zek9GNPTWSLSEHd7IuVHy4LKopwEUeRNwcgOFY6T3sOZ0sH-VMI5zDOIVkQnouWeulG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiohIbqZGdY90u5j6nZs7ytAmRddKXoz9aydQzrhVEV_0a0TVLjm7pfSoWC-dVUt9mlLRPVpt2YLkTOTs5tIBkfJgH2zFTOV2y_quwqDX5LSbkSNY5gWCmp2Zek9GNPTWSLSEHd7IuVHy4LKopwEUeRNwcgOFY6T3sOZ0sH-VMI5zDOIVkQnouWeulG" width="320" /></a>
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Time for some reflection at the Zen Garden.<br />(or maybe just
a little rest from all the walking).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3ogb0gIKvI4xSaa0we9LTFc8RF0pQRRuRbFa_HzIiqzuG1uMdPxXSSlr3URX2eF3eByd5LlXqLob793j9UASNx0IJwPjKuZDTfYicOqrOTpUaR9YmTHCr9htJ8PsG4G8HLGR0wwp_a3PBU7kBY8R9skJm6PALOgWNmoikFwnkIp6uJytIwDuwZQqN" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3ogb0gIKvI4xSaa0we9LTFc8RF0pQRRuRbFa_HzIiqzuG1uMdPxXSSlr3URX2eF3eByd5LlXqLob793j9UASNx0IJwPjKuZDTfYicOqrOTpUaR9YmTHCr9htJ8PsG4G8HLGR0wwp_a3PBU7kBY8R9skJm6PALOgWNmoikFwnkIp6uJytIwDuwZQqN" width="320" /></a>
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No idea what these seed pods were, but <br />think they'd made a
neat character animation.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5rVsMRuFy-tkwkkTjuAb0Aq4cSk9NvWnC8H0r1_SNHQ4IUYT-jSDeq1HgrCe8nnb1x3sE1sU2J4TTbnfXdPmGXeerqsri2OUKDZqCCKFvst2HURdenqJwqq_eiDoeebQcNqciVtoL4tvdEf8DZ-uozahjThB70T2BFL9meptbBhaZQ8mZQBeMlWRp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5rVsMRuFy-tkwkkTjuAb0Aq4cSk9NvWnC8H0r1_SNHQ4IUYT-jSDeq1HgrCe8nnb1x3sE1sU2J4TTbnfXdPmGXeerqsri2OUKDZqCCKFvst2HURdenqJwqq_eiDoeebQcNqciVtoL4tvdEf8DZ-uozahjThB70T2BFL9meptbBhaZQ8mZQBeMlWRp" width="320" /></a>
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"The perfect blossom is a rare thing.<br />You could spend your
entire life looking for <br />one and it would not be a wasted
life."
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<br />* * *
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Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-49314355148402615182023-05-16T00:00:00.001-04:002023-05-31T23:59:48.230-04:00Animated Events: Accounting and Butterflies<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSPDcTRJHPz1Rt6_5OYZlnO6tpz4b2PLxBo3Vv47TlQS9wKXWBfTwsNeis13S3bRCYcoCiPSM_iYU2-tpnxQZkvv9KX3M3mn-ef44U6VPn2GGIB0kEzCAjiIdmBIFbsGv4M0TNMLPYe3wZ6ERQjyuJi1cn6s9XGgR5cL2PYIZtcyCNFRyGF09bHmcG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSPDcTRJHPz1Rt6_5OYZlnO6tpz4b2PLxBo3Vv47TlQS9wKXWBfTwsNeis13S3bRCYcoCiPSM_iYU2-tpnxQZkvv9KX3M3mn-ef44U6VPn2GGIB0kEzCAjiIdmBIFbsGv4M0TNMLPYe3wZ6ERQjyuJi1cn6s9XGgR5cL2PYIZtcyCNFRyGF09bHmcG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Malay Lacewing (Cethosia hypsea)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Tax time has come and gone. And as much as people dread this time of year, I've come to look forward to it. Years ago, my accountant moved across the state and sent out a very polite 'thank you for your business over the years' letter to all of us in his former location. Well, we've been friends for years and I've always been very happy with his work, so it was only natural to keep working with him, distance notwithstanding. As his office is only an hours drive from mine, every Spring, I drive out to Grand Rapids: once to drop off my tax binder and once to pick it up and sign any paperwork.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLDtaHbFZj2TW_ScS6ETRaaL7wqqVFNXkscSfTiIdBkVTz_G7CwFn8ZguxIwXegBJBqROVTNXWviYwSoVzAdbj3os4WODfVktDObkv8Kih2L0ACR4vP-xFglfzln84q3i1BegGxJChRcwh5SGuqS0OYo4oEOyqN-GCE4gSkqhYqKHnAJWwB9HLQ1Yt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLDtaHbFZj2TW_ScS6ETRaaL7wqqVFNXkscSfTiIdBkVTz_G7CwFn8ZguxIwXegBJBqROVTNXWviYwSoVzAdbj3os4WODfVktDObkv8Kih2L0ACR4vP-xFglfzln84q3i1BegGxJChRcwh5SGuqS0OYo4oEOyqN-GCE4gSkqhYqKHnAJWwB9HLQ1Yt" width="320" /></a></div><br />One of the things that makes the trip so enjoyable is that this is during the same time Meijer Gardens has their yearly butterfly exhibit (with a healthy dose of orchids from their Spring orchid event).<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRM3t5T4LKYAGCOfa9u7pCeK30RI_cmeSBiOESkAjg6jyQj7DslB3pbo9ZmzDGvfD5_8kA1IO7RbYX8kvz0bMLQflUkXXV7DbQCS1opAY9S45RJn2qHYYtPpY9H9iPmJ4kjxfZujmBGgClbQeY9iQ_aSwGiGfmA_gd3wT4ZDBvOPw-CWZYCl4cVaJi" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRM3t5T4LKYAGCOfa9u7pCeK30RI_cmeSBiOESkAjg6jyQj7DslB3pbo9ZmzDGvfD5_8kA1IO7RbYX8kvz0bMLQflUkXXV7DbQCS1opAY9S45RJn2qHYYtPpY9H9iPmJ4kjxfZujmBGgClbQeY9iQ_aSwGiGfmA_gd3wT4ZDBvOPw-CWZYCl4cVaJi" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hecale Longwing (Heliconius hecale)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />So far, I haven't done any drawings or paintings of the butterflies. Need to break out the colored pencils and watercolors and change that. Back in the day, my friend Angie did this beautiful colored pencil drawing of a butterfly and posted it on her social media. Still wishing I had been quick enough on the draw to buy it (though I do hope it went to a good home where it'll be appreciated for years to come).<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcgCNZ4T7FN9wO9RQsZRap04YaBDnxRXJ2HouQNtQUMuGUD5nB1pHDGRfrcueT9Fd1ILYsiqmqDCqswECn0b8UrruWMW22RyimfY9VMP9RjP3J87YWOob_-pCqkKKBsm-t-uCXE4LLMaFVtHGJDoNIwibhQMPmfOkuroMGjdU7cTgSz8TAk0LwlImv" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcgCNZ4T7FN9wO9RQsZRap04YaBDnxRXJ2HouQNtQUMuGUD5nB1pHDGRfrcueT9Fd1ILYsiqmqDCqswECn0b8UrruWMW22RyimfY9VMP9RjP3J87YWOob_-pCqkKKBsm-t-uCXE4LLMaFVtHGJDoNIwibhQMPmfOkuroMGjdU7cTgSz8TAk0LwlImv" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Small Postman (Heliconius erato)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Here was a nice surprise: a butterfly that I'd never seen before. I always see the Blue Morpho/Common Morpho butterflies, but this time there was a White Morpho hanging out on a stick. Wish he'd flexed his wings though. When I saw him flying a short while later, the tips of his wings were a rich orange color on the inside.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkj2Yh8YwAzz9jq6gyUqrFIG0rEO-k9eVA-uk6p4daXsRptokAvbj6bDyB-FvZeDzITq7FnR3JRaEduF91Mcz5cPRALLKcz-M9sYko56PN5Le_WQrHMfko1QAipto4Bac8fPWeAE8Y7InCLmZLTCJElqJIkUOVVYJ_cotSQ1hmt6GkFWxPi2ShZI95" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkj2Yh8YwAzz9jq6gyUqrFIG0rEO-k9eVA-uk6p4daXsRptokAvbj6bDyB-FvZeDzITq7FnR3JRaEduF91Mcz5cPRALLKcz-M9sYko56PN5Le_WQrHMfko1QAipto4Bac8fPWeAE8Y7InCLmZLTCJElqJIkUOVVYJ_cotSQ1hmt6GkFWxPi2ShZI95" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">White Morpho (Morpho polyphemus)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />While I haven't done any sketching at the Meijer Gardens in the past, I have played with some of the video functions on my iPhone. One of the more interesting surprises came when I took some slow-motion videos of the butterflies as they flapped their wings. The interesting surprise was seeing how their wings bend as they flap up and down as opposed to staying rigidly straight. Check out the video below, especially from around the 20 second to 30 second mark.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6k7c20kfxw0" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe></p><p>Afterwards, since the weather was beautiful, I walked around the outdoor grounds where the Japanese garden is always a treat.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuv3F1EBzpjmJ3b0W3AxXEu2kY-T3SmfNPfRsobb9EdX99C1AApTF6FVlBsPKx7vbH0PUgXwEBjJO3faBeZGXq-FEzSh675RRTl5jHgA4_BkcCMtpAwqAf2-D4Zsp6JhvccsXuUWKC3tkOB5VPJ2aiO7hwv2RUty6X-OENLRzQHj1D1vRI-pHk3jQv" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuv3F1EBzpjmJ3b0W3AxXEu2kY-T3SmfNPfRsobb9EdX99C1AApTF6FVlBsPKx7vbH0PUgXwEBjJO3faBeZGXq-FEzSh675RRTl5jHgA4_BkcCMtpAwqAf2-D4Zsp6JhvccsXuUWKC3tkOB5VPJ2aiO7hwv2RUty6X-OENLRzQHj1D1vRI-pHk3jQv" width="320" /></a></div><br />And though I always expect to see the fish swimming around in the shallows, the turtles were out in force this time around.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMYhuOliJVCPCjuNIwbsHNVXnbS4TRKgzeSw2Kqp8JJV_G2emkbY3wR9qeutLBzsjyA-e3UAy7F7Lip_9ZdWCMReixbob9wHixRGExUWejSjFd6oIzMk_CPrXr9p0RgQ99CLIG7VrArvTanNZU_Da_XhwJifz8LQ3ETeeTjoANcT0teLiOrgVtHv8L" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMYhuOliJVCPCjuNIwbsHNVXnbS4TRKgzeSw2Kqp8JJV_G2emkbY3wR9qeutLBzsjyA-e3UAy7F7Lip_9ZdWCMReixbob9wHixRGExUWejSjFd6oIzMk_CPrXr9p0RgQ99CLIG7VrArvTanNZU_Da_XhwJifz8LQ3ETeeTjoANcT0teLiOrgVtHv8L" width="320" /></a></div><br />Seeking out a little peace and serenity sure makes tax time sting a lot less.<p></p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-2256006028514148212023-04-25T00:00:00.147-04:002023-04-25T00:18:40.503-04:00Animated Reviews: Suzume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMSD-GZIO_cJPIC7FIEv-bjmWTKM_ARqBBxxv0FIZDOZHMXG_m7FANDfMu2PR0MZsIsKRXAwNnrxEdjX4uVaqC0wJ7kwx0sVEw6RfoA2eoJBrx6aF7EuT4meEsVY_ykxVW4IodTJGojamqP_l60C-RSEh7OU0VenuATzGsq7C0Pct_WpcI7N1o1kS/s375/Suzume_no_Tojimari_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMSD-GZIO_cJPIC7FIEv-bjmWTKM_ARqBBxxv0FIZDOZHMXG_m7FANDfMu2PR0MZsIsKRXAwNnrxEdjX4uVaqC0wJ7kwx0sVEw6RfoA2eoJBrx6aF7EuT4meEsVY_ykxVW4IodTJGojamqP_l60C-RSEh7OU0VenuATzGsq7C0Pct_WpcI7N1o1kS/s320/Suzume_no_Tojimari_poster.jpg" width="226" /></a>
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<div><br /></div><i>Suzume</i> is the latest animated feature from Makoto Shinkai, which follows a successful series of movies in his filmography, like <i>The Garden of Words</i>, <i>Children Who Chase Lost Voices</i>, and <i>5 Centimeters per Second</i>.<br />
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Y'know, I've harped on this in a prior blog post but it still bugs me. Before watching
the spectacular film <i>Your Name</i> back in 2017, <i>5 Centimeters per Second</i> was the only Makoto
Shinkai film I'd seen before. And while I've seen '5 Centimeters' two times
now, I still don't remember a single thing about it. In doing some research
for this article, I read the plot and I still don't remember this film. I'm
not sure what that means. I mean, it's a film by Makoto Shinkai, so I'm sure
that the visuals were amazing, the characters relatable, and the story
multi-faceted. I've got it on DVD but I'm not sure what a third viewing
would do for me. It's only an hour long, so wouldn't be a bad thing to watch
it again, but I find it odd that I can remember details about some really
obscure animations, however this one gives me so much trouble. I didn't even remember that I had watched it two times when I wrote that blog post in 2017. Now that I've reviewed the reference blog post, the really
odd thing is that I remember mentioning not remembering watching the film to
a friend, and then going on to watch the film with him--but I still don't
remember the film itself. Here's the trailer for '5 Centimeters'.</div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdM7athAem0?controls=0" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
</div>
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Nope. Don't remember any of it. The thing that spooks me about the idea of rewatching it
for a third time is what if I walk away not remembering anything about it--even
with all the information I now have regarding the characters and plot? I have to admit though, due to the nature of memory being so nebulous it's almost more interesting to me to know the reason why it's so difficult to remember watching this film. Hrm.</div>
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<div><br /></div><div>Oh, yeah. <i>Suzume</i>...</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, it's a Makoto Shinkai film, so, as I said earlier, the visuals, backgrounds, and character animation, you know they're going to be spectacular. And this film did not disappoint. The story is about a girl who meets a young man on the way to her school and she quickly gets swept up into a supernatural plot to stop massive earthquakes in Japan. The layer beneath the metaplot is the young man trying to explain to her the nature of reality all while she is coming to terms with tragedies in her own past. For me though, it really wasn't the supernatural/sci-fi elements of the story that roped me in, it was the human elements: those relationships that develop between the characters as she races against time across Japan. Those interactions are the really interesting elements of this film. Those alone make <i>Suzume </i>worth a second viewing.</div><div><br /></div>
<div>In the pantheon of Shinaki's films that I've seen, I'd put this one as better than <i>Weathering with You</i> but not as good as <i>Your Name</i>. I do recommend watching this movie in the theaters while it's
still there--a large format screen really allows for one to absorb a lot of visual detail that you'll miss on a television screen--but be sure to see it when it comes to streaming platforms or
DVD/BluRay. While I didn't have enough of an emotional connection to "Weathering" to want it in my DVD collection, <i>Suzume </i>is one of those that I just might pick up when it hits the stores. </div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IfKNOUUtyCA" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe>
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<div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div>
Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-57179031022511965622023-04-11T00:00:00.052-04:002023-04-12T23:35:02.750-04:00Animated Events: TAAFI Film Festival 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEham3KnhTAP3oiBjXS9v773MmnOh2EhfXl6jVOTy2m3M7t22cnyM0EPFsHPrsJkTbGghQ0YEyrNXYqNFdrTX08q_HkU4DY99P_UiglgAMjJ35SuWDUUN36o3ZSmamNLAdr0KMBqgU2Z7AbvISmXsTyjXm88ObsHkJCuMbPjw_q1sSN_cQ_tJ5x_tD2v/s4032/IMG_2158.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEham3KnhTAP3oiBjXS9v773MmnOh2EhfXl6jVOTy2m3M7t22cnyM0EPFsHPrsJkTbGghQ0YEyrNXYqNFdrTX08q_HkU4DY99P_UiglgAMjJ35SuWDUUN36o3ZSmamNLAdr0KMBqgU2Z7AbvISmXsTyjXm88ObsHkJCuMbPjw_q1sSN_cQ_tJ5x_tD2v/w400-h300/IMG_2158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Well, the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International's annual film festival has come and gone. And while I miss spending the weekend in Toronto, enjoying good food, great films, and the chance to spend time with valued colleagues, I'm very thankful that TAAFI has made the decision to maintain a hybrid virtual/in-person festival format for the time being. Since heading over to Canada isn't an option for me at the moment, it's nice to still be a part of some of the best animation festivals in the world.</p><p>This year, TAAFI had a number of their feature-length animated films streamed online along with the full shorts competition and a number of presentations. After the features, they would bring on the creator (usually the director) to discuss the film and take questions from the audience. </p><p>While I was disappointed that I couldn't watch <i>The Amazing Maurice</i> and <i>Unicorn Wars</i> (due to them not being streamed and only shown to the in-person portion of the festival), <i>Unicorn Wars</i> is a rental on Amazon Prime so I don't mind throwing a couple bucks to a filmmaker through their choice of streaming platform. And I imagine that 'Maurice' will be on streaming platforms soon enough (I missed it's run in the theaters), so no worries there. As I've largely moved from watching movies in a theater to enjoying them in the comfort of my home theater, it's become my preferred way of consuming film. And it was a very pleasant experience as TAAFI showed the features in the evenings during the week and followed up with the shorts programs over the weekend. So the festival fit into my work schedule quite nicely.</p><p style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/794166821?h=499d136c96" width="445"></iframe>
</p><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/794166821">Final TAAFI Film Festival 2023: Terry Ibele</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/thetaafi">Toronto Animation Arts Festival</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>I started off the week watching their first feature film presentation: <i>Rift</i>.</p><p>Okay, <i>Rift</i> was an interesting experience. The visuals were a quantum leap backwards in time. They were "primitive" in every sense of the word: the models looked blocky, as if they were constructed out of primitives (spheres, cubes, cones, etc). Very primitive facial expressions with little animation. Most of the motion was stiff and stilted. The backgrounds were blocky and not as detailed. Honestly, the whole movie reminded me of the T.V. series Roughnecks: <i>Starship Troopers Chronicles</i> from back in 1999, except produced with worse graphics (full disclosure: I enjoyed ST:C and have all the DVDs). If you watch the trailer for <i>Rift,</i> you'll see what I mean about the visuals, backgrounds, and animation.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uk-zPmeZwpY" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, credit where credit is due: this film has a very interesting story with decent voice acting. So what is the payoff, you may ask? Why would someone create a film like this? An attempt to be retro? Bringing their personal vision to life? Well in this case, the director was working with new technology and a production pipeline that was designed for smaller production filmmaking during a lockdown which would be easily adaptable to a limited budget, limited staff production.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Much of the animation was motion capture and performance capture which would be cleaned up by animators with special tools that allowed for minute changes on the models -- things like changing a mouth position or tweaking the movement of a hand gesture. And the film was also produced with Unreal Engine as the backend render engine for both the development and final film production phases.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All-in-all, it looked more like a stage between pre-visualization and final production. But it's a very interesting production pipeline and it is really worth keeping an eye on the technology as it develops since it makes feature-length animation much more affordable and accessible to smaller production teams. Is it ready for "prime time"? I'm not too sure about that, but <i>Rift</i> was a good stepping stone (or perhaps a proof of concept) as the technology evolves. The director and his production crew did a decent job with the tools they had and the restrictions they were under, so I'm very interested to see what Hasraf Dulull produces next as well as how this technology develops and is adopted by other filmmakers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkKLi__DHu19RPA9qkwPEM8rFNzjOLEf5BxmSv5ucBlIW7mrObvyHO-N9gSlAEhOrDcDGtyUl-M9ay-q-YEtCoUtIql_RXbDNUJbVJfVaxect7ISh6R7COopExx5SLS-6-emRtq92YA4TvEItt5qpXmza9SnDhQ5611NQiLZvHOlhs4xRKzG3ExCo/s4032/IMG_2159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkKLi__DHu19RPA9qkwPEM8rFNzjOLEf5BxmSv5ucBlIW7mrObvyHO-N9gSlAEhOrDcDGtyUl-M9ay-q-YEtCoUtIql_RXbDNUJbVJfVaxect7ISh6R7COopExx5SLS-6-emRtq92YA4TvEItt5qpXmza9SnDhQ5611NQiLZvHOlhs4xRKzG3ExCo/s320/IMG_2159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></div><div>The next feature that stood out was <i>Interface</i> by Canadian artist Justin Tomchuk.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Interface</i> was actually edited together into a two-hour feature-length movie from a series of web shorts that Tomchuk released previously. I'm not sure I could summarize the plot and do it justice, so here's the description from TAAFI's website:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Henryk, a man who doesn’t age, and Mischief, a clown-like entity with
the ability to shapeshift, travel across several locations searching for
Henryk’s great-granddaughter, all while being pursued by KAMI, a
mysterious, artificial “god” created by the most likely malicious
Greetings Robotics Corporation."</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Interface</i> was weird. It reminded me of one of those quirky features that I sat through on a lark at the Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema but would end up enjoying by the time the film was over. It was surreal with visuals that ran the gamut from what looked like 8-bit video game graphics to experimental to European animation. I'm planning on watching this film again when I have the time to really sit there and digest what I'm watching.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Justin Tomchuk has released the full film online for free viewing, so give it a look. I'd say sit through the first fifteen minutes or so and see if it ropes you in like it did me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gdAbs95GIm4" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As the weekend approached, I waited patiently for the animated shorts screenings, which traditionally are my favorite events of the festival. And they did pay off. TAAFI groups the shorts programs into general themes: Oddball Shorts, Dark Shorts, College Shorts, etc. I don't know why, but I really appreciate that format. Maybe because there's a sense of harmony across the films. Thought for another day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While it was very fun to see some more popular short films, like the<i> Rick & Morty </i>spinoff web series highlighting the Vindicators, there were a couple films this year that really spoke to me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Queen of the Foxes</i> was a delightful film directed by Marina Rosset. The story follows the Fox Queen and her coterie of foxes that scour the city at night looking for unsent love letters. It's a wholly charming film with a great payoff. The trailer is below, but this is one of those films I'd love to have in my collection. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGTe9lX64_g" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe></div>
<div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Sincereality </i>is one of those films I'd love for everyone to see. It's created by a Japanese director "Dada Gaugin", and it succeeds in being anime without being anime. It's basically a music video about a girl and her struggles to be a musical performer. And fortunately for everyone, the director posted it online about a year ago. When you watch it, click on the "CC" option as it's got English subtitles. Dada Gaugin is one of those directors I now have on my list of artists whose career I need to follow. The song is so fun and uplifting and the visuals match the pacing of the film so well, even if you don't speak Japanese, the film is easy to understand. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the film. I challenge you to watch this film and not walk away with a smile on your face.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Chit Chat</i> and <i>Homebody</i> were both films about social isolation -- the first a film about a socially awkward man who dials people on the phone, looking for someone to talk to, who ends up striking up a friendship with an elderly woman. Homebody told the story of a shut-in woman who lived vicariously through her friend's adventures. In both cases, these films really struck home for many of us, especially during the waning days of Covid. The directors (Elisa Baudy & Jeanne Dalmas & Flore Pean & Gabin Ageorges & Bradley Lejeune, and Sophia Du respectively) struck a very good balance between highlighting the painful situations their characters find themselves in but choosing to end the films on a hopeful note. I'd happily watch both films again.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Mileage</i> was good. Very good! <i>Mileage</i> was one part horror and one part psychological thriller all wrapped up in seven minutes. Horror isn't the easiest genre to pull off in animation and I'm very impressed that the directors of this film were able to set up the conflict, build tension, and finish up with a resolution that really points a spotlight on human nature without being overbearing. If you have the chance to watch this at a festival, definitely check it out. Props to the directors Jennifer Wu & Kym Santiana & Ruyee Lu & Christopher Hsueh & Nicole Taylor-Topacio & Joy Zhou & Ruby Saysanasy & Miranda Li & Saul Benavides.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then, after the last Saturday screening, it was over. I felt a little wistful since I was able to watch some incredible animated films, but since I didn't get to watch them in Toronto with my friends and colleagues, I was left with some good memories but with noone to share them with. All in all though, I remain very thankful to the folks over at TAAFI for continuing this in-person and virtual festival format so folks all around the world who would be there otherwise can be a part of the festivities. Hopefully next year, things will be closer to normal and a return trip to Toronto will be a part of my festival plans.</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowvuY93j5qqrlD48fyBkjuKNIM_DCaF8TdZWG8nFI9c5AkoPboBJWTo3Pu31GRpsWpNwzn0xHEl3P0s4Fn8gO8s3HHsvx1DGCffRmRB_VnaX8clmFvUnyY0vbqC1uZ9L6uSmK7loLj0kvYvEulOQnP5RiC6uYCctqr9x68Ht9QWXKf_43-PRze9Bm/s4032/IMG_2164.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowvuY93j5qqrlD48fyBkjuKNIM_DCaF8TdZWG8nFI9c5AkoPboBJWTo3Pu31GRpsWpNwzn0xHEl3P0s4Fn8gO8s3HHsvx1DGCffRmRB_VnaX8clmFvUnyY0vbqC1uZ9L6uSmK7loLj0kvYvEulOQnP5RiC6uYCctqr9x68Ht9QWXKf_43-PRze9Bm/s320/IMG_2164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> * * *</div></div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-79886413183366578442023-03-14T00:00:00.227-04:002023-03-15T11:22:44.185-04:00Animated Events: 2023 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts at the DFT<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe7817qhNMaalpuDaXifLunBSdnJ7az8qIfqh8-fvyQDesC-TZ8VPs8RIxKQKm8mss4H5V0rnbPbvhdkYs-GUUOILOo74-t-3mxnLTt_lJB-bzC4_MDtPPbnFxG1ud1mnkk_Ee7t42VME39BDtHENZh1_alcpeANiHcv7gHcpwQXLE-Zze-5GDxX3/s4032/DFT%20Poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe7817qhNMaalpuDaXifLunBSdnJ7az8qIfqh8-fvyQDesC-TZ8VPs8RIxKQKm8mss4H5V0rnbPbvhdkYs-GUUOILOo74-t-3mxnLTt_lJB-bzC4_MDtPPbnFxG1ud1mnkk_Ee7t42VME39BDtHENZh1_alcpeANiHcv7gHcpwQXLE-Zze-5GDxX3/s320/DFT%20Poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Well, I made it to Detroit to see the animated short films that were nominated for the 2023 Academy Awards. And while I don't follow the Oscars, per se, I do have some friends that are voting members of the Academy--and watching the shorts program at the DIA's Detroit Film Theater is a fun experience, so off to the Motor City I went.<p></p><p>I spent a couple hours drifting around the DIA, mostly looking at paintings and sculptures up in the third floor -- the Dutch Masters galleries. Then had a brief, yet pleasant talk with one of the docents about 'Veiled Lady', a marble sculpture by Giovanni Maria Benzoni from back in 1872. A quick lunch later, and I checked out the Impressionists gallery to see that the four van Gogh paintings owned by the DIA were back in their home again.</p><p>After which, it was time to see the films!</p>
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</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">This is the story of a salesman working in a call center who has an existential crisis. It's a clever concept with competent execution. I don't think that they broke any new ground with the story or animation here but it was an entertaining film with good production values. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the time being, you can watch this film on the Troy | Movies | Videos YouTube channel at this <a href="https://youtu.be/SJiNK8i7xs8" target="_blank">hyperlink</a>.</div>
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</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Flying Sailor</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Always good to see the National Film Board of Canada with a film in competition. And when the film is directed by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, you know that it's going to be entertaining. This one was the story of a Canadian sailor who was caught in an explosion when two ships collide. It was a really trippy film that looked at the nature of existence but without becoming pretentious or drawn out for too long. If you've ever had a near-death experience (or thought you were having one), you'll relate to what transpires on the screen. Watch to the end because even when you think that it's over, this film sneaks in a really good endcap. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the time being, you can watch this film on the New Yorker's YouTube channel at this <a href="https://youtu.be/4Rj3FG8vFtk" target="_blank">hyperlink</a>.</div><div><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ice Merchants</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Delightfully quirky with a good payoff. This film reminds me of the fun and quirky films that I would see at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. The story is all about a father and son who live on the side of a cliff, harvesting ice and selling it to the townspeople below. I was able to figure out the payoff at the ending about halfway into the film, but wow was it a fun ride to get there. This was my choice for the Oscar. Unfortunately, it lost out to 'Boy, Mole, Fox & Horse', but having seen all the contenders, you pretty much knew who the Academy members were going to cast their votes for. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For the time being, you can watch this film on the New Yorker's YouTube channel at this <a href="https://youtu.be/mhj74ZjfaQ8" target="_blank">hyperlink</a>.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gorgeous visuals and smooth animation. There was some clever dialog throughout the story of a boy learning life lessons from animals whilst finding his courage. A little too saccharine and simplistic for my tastes, but it was adapted from a children's book, so you know what to expect going in. It's worth seeing once and I'm sure that parents will enjoy watching this film with their children. Definitely stay seated through the ending credit sequence and pay attention. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last I knew, this film was only available to watch through the Apple+ streaming service.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><u><b><br /></b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>My Year of Dicks</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">An interesting, entertaining story. Visuals were reminiscent of Joanna Priestley's <i>Voices</i> with some nods to Richard Linklater's <i>Waking Life</i>. The main problem with this film wasn't the story--a teenage girl who decides that she wants to lose her virginity and the hi-jinks that follow--no, it was that the music and sound effects drowned out the dialog, so there was a lot of nuance and character development that I ended up missing. It was a quirky film with some interesting notes and the final sequence was painfully funny and relatable to men and women alike. Honestly, I'd watch it again (though only if it came with subtitles). This short film is rated "R" for content, however, overall it was pretty tame. I don't recall any nudity or anything like that, just some foul language and its mature subject matter. The DFT and Shorts International did it right: before the film was announced, they gave time for parents to remove their children from the theater. I don't know where this film is available for viewing right now, but if you're into "coming of age" stories, this one is worth a look.</div><p>And to end this blog post with the obligatory foodie photo, I have to say: the DIA Cafeteria has a superior bowl of chicken soup!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCnxjdgywEZsFvDvEWqCbL2Xan8FFXi_479uicrZeoOfWfyXtbtr7Rtg-bp8AxNxP4sk0x2WasMvwajJDzziZQFJgjgx9YMfIZVKz1Ra6zxFYT9ARIVa8j6g6YRz83TIkSnlAJmZclZ3wdmFS3-43WSFSv0nW4iYkLeIeHPkqhdEwCctmpBhnD2uQ/s4032/Soup.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCnxjdgywEZsFvDvEWqCbL2Xan8FFXi_479uicrZeoOfWfyXtbtr7Rtg-bp8AxNxP4sk0x2WasMvwajJDzziZQFJgjgx9YMfIZVKz1Ra6zxFYT9ARIVa8j6g6YRz83TIkSnlAJmZclZ3wdmFS3-43WSFSv0nW4iYkLeIeHPkqhdEwCctmpBhnD2uQ/w400-h300/Soup.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>* * * </b><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-63143702377101897862023-02-26T01:02:00.000-05:002023-02-26T01:02:17.457-05:00Animated Thoughts: The 50th Annual Annie Awards<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IjoYww-oQyZUQSGQoyNtjaOmb3B_qHOcdtzHFp4oFKCcI-Ue8y6LdzMgwmumjdM1_WCmceFw93ODEQggat_Qbj7tWo9iJWBwMCFxV6kENf6_VjSCo2HSLOuyGVxNdtiBGlOSkew01UneJdxoSI2cmtW5QEcpyPkd-ms3h_uBsOYKA65f7nwv3TsG/s444/trophy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="436" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IjoYww-oQyZUQSGQoyNtjaOmb3B_qHOcdtzHFp4oFKCcI-Ue8y6LdzMgwmumjdM1_WCmceFw93ODEQggat_Qbj7tWo9iJWBwMCFxV6kENf6_VjSCo2HSLOuyGVxNdtiBGlOSkew01UneJdxoSI2cmtW5QEcpyPkd-ms3h_uBsOYKA65f7nwv3TsG/w196-h200/trophy.png" width="196" /></a></div><p>Well, tonight was the 50th anniversary of ASIFA Hollywood's Annie Awards and also my ramblings on the always entertaining awards ceremony.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Opening the 50th with Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob Squarepants.</li><li>Hrm, don't recall seeing <i>Ice Merchants</i>. Looks to be worth a look. Fortunately, it's on the New Yorker's YouTube channel (<a href="https://youtu.be/mhj74ZjfaQ8">https://youtu.be/mhj74ZjfaQ8</a>).</li><li>Best Special Production: <i>The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse</i>. I just love the visual style of this film. Can't wait to watch it.</li><li>June Foray Award goes to animation historian Mindy Johnson and is well deserved!</li><li>I'm reminded of the fact that I need to watch Phil Tippett's <i>Mad God</i>.</li><li>Best Character Design in TV/Media goes to Blur Studio's Alberto Mieglo for the <i>Jibaro</i> episode of <i>Love Death + Robots</i>! What an awesome win for an incredible episode of animated film.</li><li>Best Character Animation in TV/Media goes to Tim Watts for <i>The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse</i>.</li><li>Another great win for <i>Love, Death + Robots</i>: Animated Effects in an Animated TV/Media Production for the <i>Bad Traveling</i> episode.</li><li>Editing in an Animated TV/Media Production, another win for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. This film is having a really good night!</li><li>Was very touching to see Evelyn Lambart posthumously receive the Winsor McCay award. I really loved seeing the montage of films, photos, and interviews featuring Evelyn. It's always a treat to see her work shown to a larger audience.</li><li>Was even more touching to see how ASIFA Hollywood brought out Lauren Faust to present the Winsor McCay award to her husband Craig McCracken.</li><li>Hrm. So they bring in Bob Iger to present Pete Docter's Winsor McCay award. And when they do the montage for Pete Docter's career, they blank out the video that's being streamed to online audiences "Due to copyright and clearance issues..." Ooookay...</li><li>Another win for <i>Love, Death + Robots</i>: Andrew Kevin Walker won Best Writing/ TV/Media for the <i>Bad Traveling</i> episode.</li><li>They produced a stop-mo segment for when the <i>Tiny Chef Show</i> won Best Animated TV Production for Preschool Children--with the Tiny Chef presenting the congratulatory speech. That was pretty clever.</li><li>Really like how they've added the 'Best Animated TV/Media Production, Limited Series' category. That was a really classy decision--to shine light on some shows that would otherwise be overlooked.</li><li>Not sure if Guillermo del Toro ad-libbed some of his lines but he sure was funny.</li><li><i>Love, Death + Robots</i> is having a great night as Emily Dean won the award for Storyboarding in an Animated Televison/Media Production for <i>the Very Pulse of the Machine</i> episode.</li><li>I make a mental note to track down <i>exception / エクセプション</i> and watch the <i>Misprint</i> episode.</li><li>Another win for the Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, this time Directing in an Animated television/Media Production. Now I really can't wait to watch this film.</li><li>I bump <i>My Father's Dragon</i> up on the list of features I want to watch.</li><li>A very gracious and humbling yet energetic speech from Guillermo del Toro when he won the Annie for Directing in an Animated Feature Production for <i>Pinocchio</i>.</li><li>Am a little embarrassed that I haven't seen any of the entries in the Best Indie Feature category.</li><li>And Guillermo del Toro's <i>Pinocchio</i> wins the Best Animated Feature. I quickly log on Netflix to add it to my queue.</li></ul><div>Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><p></p><p></p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-32046790932671496542023-02-14T00:00:00.001-05:002023-02-21T15:24:17.398-05:00Animated Reviews: Sword Art Online - Progressive<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03ivQeSRFeODPOzC4-u5gIZ94K643VWFhC146y0flvmNoz6zDS3sG6rCm3xpwWuZAkrVEksds4_uojP-9_k9nr9Rwv8bLuKjeB1wgMj2_fgMnUo6HZRZ0YPqKABiL7PLRdgMq_xZ1Ds-pHTJ5acbMISccCwmMVcZK13OdnwAq7YyF58s8dAD9lHll/s375/Scherzo_of_a_Dark_Dusk_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03ivQeSRFeODPOzC4-u5gIZ94K643VWFhC146y0flvmNoz6zDS3sG6rCm3xpwWuZAkrVEksds4_uojP-9_k9nr9Rwv8bLuKjeB1wgMj2_fgMnUo6HZRZ0YPqKABiL7PLRdgMq_xZ1Ds-pHTJ5acbMISccCwmMVcZK13OdnwAq7YyF58s8dAD9lHll/w284-h400/Scherzo_of_a_Dark_Dusk_poster.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sword Art Online - Progressive -<br />Scherzo of Deep Night</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's not always easy to find a series that inspires loyalty as a consumer, especially due to the length of time that transpires between seasons of an animated show since production times are usually longer for an animated series as opposed to live-action. It's really easy to find yourself drifting away from the shows that you loved during the down-time between seasons as you're drawn away by the next big thing. But occasionally you find that show that pulls you in and keeps you coming back season after season like clockwork. For me, Danmachi is one of those shows. Ghost in the Shell is another. As is the Venture Bros. and Rick and Morty. </p><p>Sword Art Online also falls into that category of one of those long running shows I keep returning to season after season, movie after movie. I've watched SAO ever since it started back in 2012. Went to see the first movie in the theaters, twice -- the first time in the original Japanese with English subtitles, the second in the English dub version. I've watched the spin-off show Gun Gale Online and I've kept up with the more recent movies. I've also rewatched the first story arc ("Aincrad") a couple times. So. Yes, I'm officially a fan of the show.</p><p>Now, I will admit that I haven't watched the latest story arc, titled SAO:Alicization and SAO:Alicization - War of Underworld. As it's about a total of 47 episodes and had a break in the middle between parts one and two, I made the decision to hold off until the entire story arc was released. And as both 2022 and early 2023 have been has been filled with good shows, it made the waiting rather easy. As we're nearing the end of the Winter season, I'm expecting to get back to SAO in the Spring and hopefully ration those episodes out over a couple months.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9YZFBXbG7LwoC47vizZE6MMnGmpnZetb42MPH8U5zIETJiJl8UBRkWPYGnu513DNYpeOMpTqPymD0_deXZfG-xmHDJxT567syWvWhkyE77PTLEZnfFvPB6A_9HLnKyKnP_Jiv4rpeT7Yzjs0BC6gtMlnK9TJ9-vYr4SPK5AVgTKlKjYyROmbbt4s/s310/Aria_Of_A_Starless_Night_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9YZFBXbG7LwoC47vizZE6MMnGmpnZetb42MPH8U5zIETJiJl8UBRkWPYGnu513DNYpeOMpTqPymD0_deXZfG-xmHDJxT567syWvWhkyE77PTLEZnfFvPB6A_9HLnKyKnP_Jiv4rpeT7Yzjs0BC6gtMlnK9TJ9-vYr4SPK5AVgTKlKjYyROmbbt4s/w284-h400/Aria_Of_A_Starless_Night_poster.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sword Art Online - Progressive<br />Aria of a Starless Night</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Well after the show's timeline moved forward, two movies have since been released: "SAO - Progressive - Aria of a Starless Night" and "SAO - Progressive - Scherzo of Deep Night" (released in 2021 and 2022, respectively). These two films held a lot of interest for me as they told the first season story from the perspective of the female main character, Asuna. So they're using these feature-length movies to flesh out the backstory and provide a lot more depth and motivation to her character. Danmachi did this with a spin-off series (Sword Oratoria) that followed the "Sword Princess", so I was interested in seeing how the writers of SAO tackled the challenge of telling a story from another main character's perspective.</p><p>Now, while I love how they're expanding her story, it does take place in a period of time where you already know the fates of the primary and secondary characters. One of the difficult things about making movies that are inserted into an earlier season of such a long-running show like SAO is maintaining a level of peril for the main characters. At the time these two movies are released, we already know who lives and who dies in the Aincrad story arc. To combat this, the creators added a couple new characters (Asuna's real-world friend Misumi "Mito" Tozawa and the information broker "Argo the Rat"). In doing so, the creators imbued them with real purpose for being in the story and then let us wonder if they were going to survive -- since they weren't featured in the original story arc.</p><p>The nice thing that the writers did with these new characters is they were scripted in such a way that them not being featured (or even mentioned, really) in the Aincrad story arc until now makes logical sense. And if they survive to the end, it still makes sense why they wouldn't be featured in the television series. So having these extra characters never feels like a form of deus ex machina.</p><p>In the end, both Aria and Scherzo tread the well-worn paths of fighting minions and boss monsters in the game but the story is kept fresh by the inclusion of additional character development, political intrigue, and enough screen time devoted to the new characters to make you really care for them and their outcomes. By the time the movie was over, I was hoping not just for a third feature, but also left with the desire to go back and watch the entire Aincrad arc once more before diving into the current Alicization story arc.<br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PNVPbexLi48" title="YouTube video player" width="445"></iframe><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-45076927748063151422023-01-24T00:00:00.083-05:002023-02-01T14:27:38.522-05:00Animated Events: the 50th Annual Annie Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOKrgHSXSOah68jP-lfDynFabCIQiUy9tWx7_-pIbK1qu_PKoncG1dksaw1AXNT5gac0QD5NsWKvGqcKCW4ezgd6vfNocqbAH4R8Gh78g7u565R0G1DEUTJpub4PoEEi5z2_qBGSLK9eIc9KQ9cHGPd_TOUCdtbwkcTpje468tLObc1IBbWnCnMp2/s444/trophy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="436" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOKrgHSXSOah68jP-lfDynFabCIQiUy9tWx7_-pIbK1qu_PKoncG1dksaw1AXNT5gac0QD5NsWKvGqcKCW4ezgd6vfNocqbAH4R8Gh78g7u565R0G1DEUTJpub4PoEEi5z2_qBGSLK9eIc9KQ9cHGPd_TOUCdtbwkcTpje468tLObc1IBbWnCnMp2/w196-h200/trophy.png" width="196" /></a></div>
<p>Well, the nominees for the 50th annual Annie Awards have been announced by ASIFA Hollywood. The following are the nominees for the three main categories that I'm most interested in:</p>
<p><b>Best Feature</b></p>
<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio</li><li>Puss in Boots: The Last Wish</li><li>
The Sea Beast</li><li>
Turning Red</li><li>
Wendell & Wild
</li></ul><p></p>
<p><b>Best Indie Feature</b></p>
<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Charlotte</li><li>
Inu-Oh</li><li>
Little Nicholas, Happy As Can Be</li><li>
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On</li><li>
My Father's Dragon
</li></ul><p></p>
<p><b>Best Short Subject</b></p>
<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Amok</li><li>
Black Slide</li><li>
Ice Merchants</li><li>
Love, Dad</li><li>
The Flying Sailor</li></ul>
<p></p>
<p>Sadly, due to the lingering travel restrictions preventing me from attending animation festivals, this is the first time in recent memory that I haven't seen any of the nominees. On the bright side, I do have Netflix, so a private screening of <i>Wendell & Wild</i> and <i>My Father's Dragon</i> is in my future.</p><p>The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. PST.</p><p>Congratulations to all the nominees. I look forward to seeing who wins in February. You can see a full list of the nominees and watch the ceremony streamed online at: <a href="https://annieawards.org">https://annieawards.org</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-56684240646497977112023-01-17T00:00:00.002-05:002023-02-26T02:11:59.797-05:00Animated Events: Van Gogh at the DIA<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMaxUmPK9snyFx29jMJhlL_pUqTxorMkkHA5uaCFXEIbl-RRGYFbAQCMrp6LtfGg3eTzQJpDj-a49-0erA16Tw_gjQhHr_EKDRQr-STZPp8Az671Y448laNidamD74rq5x0Uoaz3W9uzL693meVH-XkqYdrO-Psb4-EQaMSbn1aFY_0zDli8OreW5/s4032/IMG_1850.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMaxUmPK9snyFx29jMJhlL_pUqTxorMkkHA5uaCFXEIbl-RRGYFbAQCMrp6LtfGg3eTzQJpDj-a49-0erA16Tw_gjQhHr_EKDRQr-STZPp8Az671Y448laNidamD74rq5x0Uoaz3W9uzL693meVH-XkqYdrO-Psb4-EQaMSbn1aFY_0zDli8OreW5/s320/IMG_1850.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The DIA's own "Vincent Pop-up Cafe"</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Well, I finally made it to the DIA's Van Gogh exhibition before it closed out. After watching the Van Gogh animated installation in Grand Rapids it was time to see the real thing in Detroit. I have to say that I was left awestruck by the breadth of the man's ability. So often in the books and classes, all you get to see are Vincent's paintings like The Starry Night. However, in addition to his paintings, this exhibit showed examples of his drawings with ink, charcoal, and crayon. And it was in those pieces that you really started to grasp the tremendous amount of skill and talent that Van Gogh was blessed with. What really struck a chord with me is when they mentioned how Van Gogh studied pointillism. Then, as you looked at his paintings, you saw how Van Gogh expanded upon the technique and made it his own before incorporating it into his own style.</p><p>The following photos really aren't the best examples of Van Gogh's diversity of talent, but these were the paintings that really spoke to me, the ones I spent more time observing (and appreciating) than all the others.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuhvnvD2bGHq5LYBfC--HeTeG5tpCNaDXlNOg_WNs5TJ02yk82FyP5XYnlmRfA58fQ1ZQyd_b_fF7Cl7MmjkZIxCfj7HhdA4BKnZMPAg1etq4ASbEAhLz89WcI9x7WtIY8WEES8CY7D9GXHf3mpoA8r4nORay9x_XaTnM0neMWdSFppfonzjrQMhf/s4032/IMG_1855.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuhvnvD2bGHq5LYBfC--HeTeG5tpCNaDXlNOg_WNs5TJ02yk82FyP5XYnlmRfA58fQ1ZQyd_b_fF7Cl7MmjkZIxCfj7HhdA4BKnZMPAg1etq4ASbEAhLz89WcI9x7WtIY8WEES8CY7D9GXHf3mpoA8r4nORay9x_XaTnM0neMWdSFppfonzjrQMhf/s320/IMG_1855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landscape with Figures, 1889</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibBcycBl64c3I0yxF8yLCDijjvogmhQ5U0Xfk0I1ksmMZF1Axln-hWFp2VroGQ_kOCWrzYxglUnR3tXq7EasN15dAT4zy_SQNjXRTw8Kb6dtXmFaEwrqtAB9aFc679NOLTy29GJvnko945T_i1rM_s-pU-oDi927gjvXZT0ALPcsT2bUmLriFlzL7/s4032/IMG_1867.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibBcycBl64c3I0yxF8yLCDijjvogmhQ5U0Xfk0I1ksmMZF1Axln-hWFp2VroGQ_kOCWrzYxglUnR3tXq7EasN15dAT4zy_SQNjXRTw8Kb6dtXmFaEwrqtAB9aFc679NOLTy29GJvnko945T_i1rM_s-pU-oDi927gjvXZT0ALPcsT2bUmLriFlzL7/s320/IMG_1867.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheaves of Wheat, 1890</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkylUzMVRA5b5f5c5YCOiIu585IAl2Tf1In2honJpNsrSOCUbywAtXtgH3LkVlaaLcFtVyMwhUO5imueyxJVN6E2KGpyLyyvVsRjjOidmDGt3l6cFS5Xbu5stmkbIletiT7ZspdqhEPb2iIynS20RYKEJzTIxwwXQTndbovxa22Mj1_hjhiFPcM37v/s4032/IMG_1890.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkylUzMVRA5b5f5c5YCOiIu585IAl2Tf1In2honJpNsrSOCUbywAtXtgH3LkVlaaLcFtVyMwhUO5imueyxJVN6E2KGpyLyyvVsRjjOidmDGt3l6cFS5Xbu5stmkbIletiT7ZspdqhEPb2iIynS20RYKEJzTIxwwXQTndbovxa22Mj1_hjhiFPcM37v/s320/IMG_1890.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grapes, Lemons, Pears and Apples, 1887</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5l08qk_lLAM4BfrOL2YCxUXemQjp-fy5LGY2rlLBZiAdx_rq216ZnTAhQ1OndgESw7cn-qN_dtdaEHFBOAcSBPmSzYLC7tzIjagGVOycX4AaZF-Wx_zQiCHDsU4jMFfJvXFJeCu3IAbfFGKrFGG05i5TfEltsXPG7o_-_HsdfFVV3djq8mNlzN27/s4032/IMG_1893.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5l08qk_lLAM4BfrOL2YCxUXemQjp-fy5LGY2rlLBZiAdx_rq216ZnTAhQ1OndgESw7cn-qN_dtdaEHFBOAcSBPmSzYLC7tzIjagGVOycX4AaZF-Wx_zQiCHDsU4jMFfJvXFJeCu3IAbfFGKrFGG05i5TfEltsXPG7o_-_HsdfFVV3djq8mNlzN27/s320/IMG_1893.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roses, 1890</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcqAZVz4bVmmxSzW2hyhIrNkGoVHcyBAl_LriB5mS66FOvCDzbox_fWv2ojDKV77-n30TED4k4bCtNVaHp2sn5yLqRQPYRKYQg5zlrsOgf3JYVepLBykJ3w1fZ-T3_Iz8eaL1B8YAcgaI326m8dkU1zTHBkfGCh_olxLw2o6uby__qBZEJsvYMaUP/s4032/IMG_1895.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcqAZVz4bVmmxSzW2hyhIrNkGoVHcyBAl_LriB5mS66FOvCDzbox_fWv2ojDKV77-n30TED4k4bCtNVaHp2sn5yLqRQPYRKYQg5zlrsOgf3JYVepLBykJ3w1fZ-T3_Iz8eaL1B8YAcgaI326m8dkU1zTHBkfGCh_olxLw2o6uby__qBZEJsvYMaUP/s320/IMG_1895.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vase with Carnations, 1886</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY97NPYnEyrXIppJX93Vxf6MIC7LIH4Q_VGQAT7lzI_qAQ11KcKfezZ1FxT3lNuNX-3ltiRYw_aTmllxGrNosTFrOTFsrNXMdOW1ebbtHpgXghcpPiwulfwq0pXlnynqrft8yqpSUnR3K0EZ-Z1oo9e4zYb1HuUVlJWdH6ZGkyHi_ozTjK_YqXn8V1/s4032/IMG_1898.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY97NPYnEyrXIppJX93Vxf6MIC7LIH4Q_VGQAT7lzI_qAQ11KcKfezZ1FxT3lNuNX-3ltiRYw_aTmllxGrNosTFrOTFsrNXMdOW1ebbtHpgXghcpPiwulfwq0pXlnynqrft8yqpSUnR3K0EZ-Z1oo9e4zYb1HuUVlJWdH6ZGkyHi_ozTjK_YqXn8V1/s320/IMG_1898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach Trees in Blossom, 1889</td></tr></tbody></table><div><p>I'm not much of a fan of the television show Doctor Who. To be honest, the show is just not to my tastes (excepting the season with Christopher Eccleston, of course). But there was this one episode in the later seasons where the Doctor takes Vincent Van Gogh forward in time to the Musee d'Orsay and has a chat with a curator. Probably one of the most poignant yet beautiful scenes of science fiction out there. And while I related to it on an emotional level since it was a very well written, well produced scene of television, after seeing the breadth of Van Gogh's skill on display, the curator's monologue made so much more sense, on an intellectual level.</p><p><b>The Doctor:</b> "Between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"</p><p><b>Curator:</b> "Well... um... big question, but, to me Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly the most popular, great painter of all time. The most beloved, his command of colour most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."</p><p>It was after this exhibit at the DIA that I truly began to grasp the above statement and both how and why people hold Vincent Van Gogh's artwork in such high regard.</p></div><div>I'll end this post with the obligatory foodie photo of the lovely meal that I had at the Vincent café before going on to enjoy the exhibit.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Fb065fAHH-rdDIYLNuY7gMy8nBxDWK2605i-HCHmPc6yXZ2ypE01zG-0FPWPcehqBrJ5mRizHb836lrBnZImOVGeN9pn79f51zH525GyX-nmbpIvyyfSeuZX6BtXlDMxnjGWhYmziUnJw13vdGLdGNUWhfmE8dWFgQ655Jtgg0pY3C_BkZkoL-UF/s4032/Vincent%20Cafe%20Meal.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Fb065fAHH-rdDIYLNuY7gMy8nBxDWK2605i-HCHmPc6yXZ2ypE01zG-0FPWPcehqBrJ5mRizHb836lrBnZImOVGeN9pn79f51zH525GyX-nmbpIvyyfSeuZX6BtXlDMxnjGWhYmziUnJw13vdGLdGNUWhfmE8dWFgQ655Jtgg0pY3C_BkZkoL-UF/s320/Vincent%20Cafe%20Meal.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Bourguignon and Chocolate Pot de Crème</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div></div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-88125148031135608612022-12-31T23:30:00.156-05:002023-02-01T23:42:02.407-05:002022's end of year wrap-up: the good, the bad, and the 'meh'<p>It was kind of a light year for animation.</p><p>Other than teaching my class, I had watched a fair number of animated films over the past year (and a couple series) but hadn't done much animation or even produced anything artistic. My paintbrushes sat unused on the desk. The light table collected dust. Even old animations went unarchived. I did paint some miniatures for wargaming, however. But other than practicing color coordination, it really doesn't help me grow much as an artist.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr09FgQaT7fjIwBkJbh6WNWyPdyC6VB9dZGikHKuaYe88CslGJaqnT93TkMf-Y0AmDBY6oNcXwofjgJLxX-yfk8iZgVKbpJVKTqVhNgXFLdMq8ZokPxttjGQ5ZimyAa6w2zyVKufAw6tYOEphRGFq0-QHJnDbjRLo4R9VSMVMN2EXXZx80RY0wHk_V" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr09FgQaT7fjIwBkJbh6WNWyPdyC6VB9dZGikHKuaYe88CslGJaqnT93TkMf-Y0AmDBY6oNcXwofjgJLxX-yfk8iZgVKbpJVKTqVhNgXFLdMq8ZokPxttjGQ5ZimyAa6w2zyVKufAw6tYOEphRGFq0-QHJnDbjRLo4R9VSMVMN2EXXZx80RY0wHk_V" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-Portrait II, 1938<br />Joan Miró<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I did write some scripts and stories this year--nothing that I'd ever publish or anything, really more dealing with honing my skills and getting some ideas out of my head and onto the page.</p><p>Most of my efforts this year were dedicated toward historical research for changes and updates to my animation history class -- and those efforts paid off that Fall semester. This was easily the best class I have taught so far. Sadly, a lot of the updates were notations of animators who had passed away in the previous year. However, there were some areas where I was able to refine and clarify information -- like the history of animation registration pegs -- and another where I added a brand new assignment covering the history of major animation patents. And I had enough time left over to add a new lecture for the last day of class -- lots of advice from my personal history on where and how to land a job in the industry.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnbqWGeAehXpevznodEKlSl_uBIVVkGrONCDYzc0XdwVA8cIVC9xMqs6OzARxHdMefRnK2Fm3UYQgN_i6dQ-H4Ii2NMmrnzVcVoeO_jVxVIQqaHC4Ca7uBz2P9ZOwBCvBE4EagE1pPxTJ5WM-k5LFRqCwgYTaxTKRD28fCuThmVqVF9wnC8R4V0pso" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnbqWGeAehXpevznodEKlSl_uBIVVkGrONCDYzc0XdwVA8cIVC9xMqs6OzARxHdMefRnK2Fm3UYQgN_i6dQ-H4Ii2NMmrnzVcVoeO_jVxVIQqaHC4Ca7uBz2P9ZOwBCvBE4EagE1pPxTJ5WM-k5LFRqCwgYTaxTKRD28fCuThmVqVF9wnC8R4V0pso" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidewheeler II, 1913<br />Lyonel Feininger</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>With Fall semester over and grades submitted, I ended my year with a trip to DIA. I hadn't seen the big Van Gogh exhibit yet and it was leaving by the end of January. Unfortunately, the exhibit was sold out by the time I bought my ticket. But, a trip to the DIA is still at trip to the DIA so I was still able to wander around and appreciate the art.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt7g3bs4XQ0Wdswto2PbqObXrCzrs92wRjdNrqXNwGS1aJjVO6WsGfzLUykBd9ffGBXgYgnRJ3Fx8-qyWGTVw_OnTEvyeqET4PwRtoWZqXolfpIIVPKxZBB9zG8d_zbZVaNcFdsUaFfOCvDGE5QkTBCvqVon8IrKLif597CqQPPBMD0tdXEpkAjIK1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt7g3bs4XQ0Wdswto2PbqObXrCzrs92wRjdNrqXNwGS1aJjVO6WsGfzLUykBd9ffGBXgYgnRJ3Fx8-qyWGTVw_OnTEvyeqET4PwRtoWZqXolfpIIVPKxZBB9zG8d_zbZVaNcFdsUaFfOCvDGE5QkTBCvqVon8IrKLif597CqQPPBMD0tdXEpkAjIK1" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectral Rhythms, 1970s<br />Charles McGee</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Looking forward to the new year, I think I'd like to get back to the basics and work on a lot of those foundational skills: line and brush work, watercolor, gesture drawing, things like that. Going into the Fall semester this past year, I talked with one of my colleagues about how fun it would be to produce a short animated film -- with production starting at the beginning of the semester and then showing my students what I had completed by the end of the semester. Given that my history class is being downgraded to a 200 level course, it will free up some time that I would've otherwise spent grading the daily writing assignments. I think that next semester, it'd be a good lesson for the students to see what you can produce in four months. Leading from example and all that.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-79079953595958352042022-11-29T00:00:00.036-05:002023-02-14T17:11:18.132-05:00Enchanted by the Flint Institute of Arts<p>So my housemate discovered a fantasy exhibit close to town. Over at the Flint Institute of Arts, they had an exhibit titled "Enchanted: History of Fantasy Illustration". I was busy, and it never seemed to be the right time, but over Thanksgiving break, I finally had a short block of free time so off to Flint I went.</p><p>I have to say that while I enjoyed the exhibit thoroughly, I must admit that I was hoping for a little more Frank Frazetta. An exhibit on fantasy illustration and only one Frazetta painting? Well, I guess that this just means I need to plan out a trip to the Frazetta Art Museum in Pennsylvania or the Frazetta Art Gallery in Florida.</p><p>The following are a couple of my favorites from the exhibit.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibq4asYsjdqo9wAFJcBHhbtl34M5v3N51bH0LJriTDSuxWiaYQudiKtVSQS6PjiJPAdCAns5v2xlEV1zLcKofFul6wum8TRUuBR5jGnRnfcD_qSaVGvRU6Okdt_Lgpy_tLAkPfk8s4RuzaGzmCA1PxBOS5chi-KZrB9w_EfRuXXs10by5vFcVNDZ3q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibq4asYsjdqo9wAFJcBHhbtl34M5v3N51bH0LJriTDSuxWiaYQudiKtVSQS6PjiJPAdCAns5v2xlEV1zLcKofFul6wum8TRUuBR5jGnRnfcD_qSaVGvRU6Okdt_Lgpy_tLAkPfk8s4RuzaGzmCA1PxBOS5chi-KZrB9w_EfRuXXs10by5vFcVNDZ3q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rose Red", 2013<br />Dan Dos Santos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv4g70-RMeIeIluYLoYTuq2u2KTiJdAaGRKRPYttZhOMayJGXubhg4EISEuhfT4BWu1yrY2MhsEZ6dhz-ege3-eIAlyZ0p5RBGMyw-NtV6mhSnonUkkwUuH9f2fZJ4DfdgDh1EdZ2GWXNzcQO2FmarE2WzCnd8Htb1M6Si1GhpkSDjsl6Boe3yaGv0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv4g70-RMeIeIluYLoYTuq2u2KTiJdAaGRKRPYttZhOMayJGXubhg4EISEuhfT4BWu1yrY2MhsEZ6dhz-ege3-eIAlyZ0p5RBGMyw-NtV6mhSnonUkkwUuH9f2fZJ4DfdgDh1EdZ2GWXNzcQO2FmarE2WzCnd8Htb1M6Si1GhpkSDjsl6Boe3yaGv0=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A Princess of Mars", 2012<br />Mark Zug</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikYX5f84XJLtA0e9Zp9VAd9EN2r835ZRKQKmt_YZHSAzhLIKvvHoirvISRbprxrG8tYsdP0JPXDLcMJkAFACCmTiZoD87zXndzN2BRQjQp0hk7PMGNBGPsVH9kxpDF5j5hBt6IB46nbuX9AlkXNivCSkpyXstljdik8mR_xsixA_2bsLWWqDHd0Pj-" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikYX5f84XJLtA0e9Zp9VAd9EN2r835ZRKQKmt_YZHSAzhLIKvvHoirvISRbprxrG8tYsdP0JPXDLcMJkAFACCmTiZoD87zXndzN2BRQjQp0hk7PMGNBGPsVH9kxpDF5j5hBt6IB46nbuX9AlkXNivCSkpyXstljdik8mR_xsixA_2bsLWWqDHd0Pj-=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Maelstrom", 2015<br />Eric Velhagen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio34k7zqYvXFNBLeOIKAjzObheDuTtLAtAjEWsHh1jO1XlOBQR2il1kmy3LYGx04jLrRK1RbGocABYA0a2ZtBclZUs4vILUp0gos_fMnyzCI2mdBpR3NzI9bCNbg5wn39vBwe2W2CoEfrCNJFwEMzZ8H8x-bKOGl3_2_FtvaDYp8_W38bz49mFExCS" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio34k7zqYvXFNBLeOIKAjzObheDuTtLAtAjEWsHh1jO1XlOBQR2il1kmy3LYGx04jLrRK1RbGocABYA0a2ZtBclZUs4vILUp0gos_fMnyzCI2mdBpR3NzI9bCNbg5wn39vBwe2W2CoEfrCNJFwEMzZ8H8x-bKOGl3_2_FtvaDYp8_W38bz49mFExCS=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mulan", 2018<br />Eric Velhagen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfY8gXWtaFpIwpVgK0Q0lLgkwyMdoHP-m24UAGT7rhWc-TXdpd9QETmQwquqrA5yIUdTzCTkxlXjV-IqGO_Hiv1wCriZ-UWytvjykmxH5KT1OKCisIBsFvck8NIJmly8Ksu3QQs5lW5aRbJFw7MZAikBqQSVP5BQeBBTHAgePvX98Z1HgJUPG7FUJb" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfY8gXWtaFpIwpVgK0Q0lLgkwyMdoHP-m24UAGT7rhWc-TXdpd9QETmQwquqrA5yIUdTzCTkxlXjV-IqGO_Hiv1wCriZ-UWytvjykmxH5KT1OKCisIBsFvck8NIJmly8Ksu3QQs5lW5aRbJFw7MZAikBqQSVP5BQeBBTHAgePvX98Z1HgJUPG7FUJb=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Conan and Red Sonja", 2022<br />Bob Layton</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ggR3TdLRnotZK3TD1VJg4oK1NSSXOscANc0-5_6VLtLX-UcMS445OQUiE7oImumPI7shyR9n63df3jA70L4g2OFMwOYHrrSoKaTi3NeaY-3xsasgh4QtcJ0AdNqUJgmecZJ-PNJWNQoU71Ehra-c-rzErmEFCuWeoGogbVPa55EHi91zu4ioOexg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ggR3TdLRnotZK3TD1VJg4oK1NSSXOscANc0-5_6VLtLX-UcMS445OQUiE7oImumPI7shyR9n63df3jA70L4g2OFMwOYHrrSoKaTi3NeaY-3xsasgh4QtcJ0AdNqUJgmecZJ-PNJWNQoU71Ehra-c-rzErmEFCuWeoGogbVPa55EHi91zu4ioOexg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Dungeons & Dragons", 1977<br />David C. Sutherland III</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Definitely need to visit this exhibition again. There was so much to see that I don't really feel like I had to take it all in. Perhaps on my birthday...</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-13381946655103417242022-10-11T00:00:00.153-04:002023-01-29T19:09:25.593-05:00Animated Thoughts: Time off well spentWell, vacation is over and it was very productive. <p></p><p>After I found my original set of polyhedral dice earlier this year, I started rebuilding the vintage D&D collection that I had back in the early 1980's. Part of that was the solo module "Maze of the Riddling Minotaur". So I rebuilt two characters that I remembered from back then and finally completed that adventure... after thirty years. It was such an enjoyable experience that I framed the map for posterity's sake--and hung it on the wall of my gaming room. But, in order to not be the classic example of the shut-in gamer, I also made it a point to be a little social by doing some miniature wargaming with friends.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokNJMI3Wl5Q7ShVmaiJfZjiVlK-1epU0KSmQCmabg6IP3k_KmR9pM5_cQsXZU3NLui6LPwRWroZb4ddqTl8DFIYDcieQDdkMmsAx_sXg-m4_n3P0O35kDui7QVfXJ4I-AkWljopwFR_tDqHPj_u-cE-tRAWki3F-2xGwvBOs48gL3HxjgcwVmiK8_" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjokNJMI3Wl5Q7ShVmaiJfZjiVlK-1epU0KSmQCmabg6IP3k_KmR9pM5_cQsXZU3NLui6LPwRWroZb4ddqTl8DFIYDcieQDdkMmsAx_sXg-m4_n3P0O35kDui7QVfXJ4I-AkWljopwFR_tDqHPj_u-cE-tRAWki3F-2xGwvBOs48gL3HxjgcwVmiK8_" width="320" /></a></div><br />Later on that week, I took some reference
photos of the emu and the kangaroos at the local zoo for later sketching. Then visited the Detroit
Institute of Arts and explored the history of a couple artists while looking at
their paintings (Otto Mueller and Joan Miró)--as well as learned something new
about puppetry that I have integrated into one of the assignments for my History of Animation class.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUZsdmT4c8fetqsaDFe7L6FotV8gh_m59l07NMnx-6THGvm_DzxKTWDb11vyZ0u7d0srvOuEs2xTjIJFOqeCE7vldDiuZ3h6qpCfw8TZFPpaFXgCIi0YEqmI7oiyB9qcudn6mAZ_wMaXCd9Gp72onQHdMYnQxYNerE0YT7vL2tlqqK5CPembi9Rvuh" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUZsdmT4c8fetqsaDFe7L6FotV8gh_m59l07NMnx-6THGvm_DzxKTWDb11vyZ0u7d0srvOuEs2xTjIJFOqeCE7vldDiuZ3h6qpCfw8TZFPpaFXgCIi0YEqmI7oiyB9qcudn6mAZ_wMaXCd9Gp72onQHdMYnQxYNerE0YT7vL2tlqqK5CPembi9Rvuh=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bathers" ~1920, Otto Mueller</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>In order to keep my time off 'animated', I caught up on some animated shows, short films, and a feature. Wrote a
treatment for a short film and dusted off an animation that I'd like to
complete over the next year. And I made the obligatory "OIAF 2022" cupcakes. I couldn't be in Ottawa in person, but I was there in spirit.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir1V0JgOUclgKOrzsBmLeN82SlnN7O4cpUfM3fhqCixAs_nuMZourtC38-RduEcW7wCXx5nW_rHGtLLiuAhua8ImQn4v5rAg4yE4mYaCOb9TJaaTAdPIbfBLUfa7qRtswag1_EcIcT7Vorq8s2pW0NBoAF0hgHbwbruiCictPT5bWsDeHPzpsiDPBX" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir1V0JgOUclgKOrzsBmLeN82SlnN7O4cpUfM3fhqCixAs_nuMZourtC38-RduEcW7wCXx5nW_rHGtLLiuAhua8ImQn4v5rAg4yE4mYaCOb9TJaaTAdPIbfBLUfa7qRtswag1_EcIcT7Vorq8s2pW0NBoAF0hgHbwbruiCictPT5bWsDeHPzpsiDPBX" width="320" /></a></div><br />Being in the area was a good thing though. My housemate is currently helping with end-of-life care for one of his friends and he needed a little time off. So after being gifted a pair of tickets to the Renaissance Festival from a friend, we got to walk around and relax at the Festival. We then ended the week walking around Meijer Gardens, enjoying one of the few remaining warm and sunny days
of the season (and taking lots of reference photos of flowers, fish and landscapes).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju_1HVxMgntEFkwxQzE2g1DmZUOsetJZkoAsuuD2IYWntk9uylwOMIls7nRr3vIjfsfbHbQDm8cNw-Db31WbsWoqg7PXew1lkI5wDT5y3b6NSCuYv85hMUibu0rQOQd1G3Xr1Yt8l9YMBm424N0Tl0A4zIpVjGTXyac2igfvkcYtWPdP0B_GH6j-xs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju_1HVxMgntEFkwxQzE2g1DmZUOsetJZkoAsuuD2IYWntk9uylwOMIls7nRr3vIjfsfbHbQDm8cNw-Db31WbsWoqg7PXew1lkI5wDT5y3b6NSCuYv85hMUibu0rQOQd1G3Xr1Yt8l9YMBm424N0Tl0A4zIpVjGTXyac2igfvkcYtWPdP0B_GH6j-xs" width="320" /></a></div><p>Now even though I was "technically" on vacation, I still taught my History of Animation class at Central, and I made it a point to let the kids know that I was on vacation and what I was doing with my time. I ended up putting it all into a handout--some of which reads as follows:</p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td>
So, this leads into the question: during class, why did I make it such a point to mention my plans about taking some time off?<br />
<p>It's because "burnout" is a real thing.</p>
<p>Most, if not all of you are preparing to enter a very competitive field where you will make your living off of your ability to be creative. If you're not careful, instead of working on your given assignment, you'll find yourself staring at a blank canvas (or computer screen), unable to form a coherent thought. And both the inspiration and the steady stream of ideas you once relied upon are nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>In order to combat this, I encourage you to develop an outlet where you can recharge your internal batteries. And it doesn't have to be related to your field of study--as you can see, mine just happen to be mostly art/animation-related.</p>
<p>And it doesn't have to be an expensive activity. Two of my close friends from Grad School like to "get away from it all" by doing the Walt Whitman thing: spending time outdoors and in nature whenever possible.</p>
<p>Steve was distance runner in High School, so he'd go jogging around campus on a regular basis after classes. Then once a week, he'd have a pint of Guinness at the pub and just hang out there and talk to people. To this day, Steve still walks to work through the countryside in Norway.</p>
<p>Glenn, he likes hiking the Adirondack Mountains over in upstate New York and posting nature photos on Facebook.</p>
<p>When I was in graduate school, my activity was sketching animals. To keep it
affordable, I bought a yearly pass to the Seneca Park Zoo. Then, almost every
Saturday, I'd spend a couple hours walking around with my sketchpad and drawing
the animals. Now that I've graduated, I like to do art and animation-related
events--whether it's spending a weekend learning an old animation technique or
watching an animated feature here in town or driving down to Detroit and
spending an afternoon looking at art. </p>
<p>It's these breaks that will help you decompress from the stresses of work
and feed your soul. Often, when I feel like I've got brain fog, I find a couple
hours at looking at art and letting my mind wander is all it takes to get the
ideas flowing again. These periodic breaks give you something to look forward
to when it's been a tough week at work and it's a good way to reward yourself
for when you've stuck it out and finished your tasks for the day, the week, or
the month. </p>
<p>And again, they don't have to cost a lot of money. It costs Glenn and Steve
nothing to walk (or jog) through nature. When Fathom Events brings first-run anime
features to Lansing, tickets are around ten dollars. An afternoon at the DIA
costs $14 for admission to the museum and $7 for parking. And only ten dollars
when I want to take my sketch pad and go drawing at the local zoo--even less if
I buy a yearly pass to the DIA or the Zoo. </p>
<p>Maybe you played a musical instrument in High School. Or you like to play a
sport. Maybe journaling is your thing. Or you'd like to try urban sketching. It
could be an activity you enjoyed when you were younger or something new that
has always interested you.</p>
<p>I encourage you all to explore your interests outside of your field of study
(or your career) and find an activity that you enjoy, something that you can
make your own and which will help you get away from the stresses of your job.
Finding out what works for you, what activities help you recharge and recover,
is one of the keys to longevity in your future career as a creative.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal">A week later, one of my students came up to me before class and thanked me for that particular handout. Turns out that as she was entering the last year of her degree, she was experiencing significant burnout and my advice spoke to her right where she was at.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I won't say anything trite like "it was a teachable moment" or anything like that. I was just happy that I was reaching a student where they were at and that my advice helped them solve a very real problem.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">* * *</p>
</div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691746422413470817.post-69703397099638782912022-09-13T00:00:00.018-04:002022-09-13T00:00:00.164-04:00Animated Thoughts: Fear of Missing Out...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjeQD9zb3aAR20gKQpWOtIlELRbJrHSbh8sY03fQyuvaXPhP63v9nZNv_k-1r7Lbn5cTXmQ0ZtcYIt8u8LNZOdZYzsEbT65dPGO0i1S6DLwztf9LzhhDrgd8pRCsPpizr9f_pmgU5WR6UV76ykcNuebUXgX-kXPJh3YQzlEGftR-hhvFnBYTuiZbI/s1538/OIAF%20Starter%20Pack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjeQD9zb3aAR20gKQpWOtIlELRbJrHSbh8sY03fQyuvaXPhP63v9nZNv_k-1r7Lbn5cTXmQ0ZtcYIt8u8LNZOdZYzsEbT65dPGO0i1S6DLwztf9LzhhDrgd8pRCsPpizr9f_pmgU5WR6UV76ykcNuebUXgX-kXPJh3YQzlEGftR-hhvFnBYTuiZbI/s320/OIAF%20Starter%20Pack.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>The 2022 Ottawa International Animation Festival is next week and their schedule of events, talks, screenings, and retrospectives went live on their website in August.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx8K-r9BGmiLjSP-ShVOOZNkMK8KvkLSDtqeCgKHBs5a2SkpVtydFwnlHgEhVLv6O8PcbcBBGr5dObcbrQbeCjrynCB9_Dxf87dmPvX189zSAz9_vlrTWwbYMusN1Xl3PsA04hnNQbG5aPL2Sxe94LAhiy9wewHORGL9uTnJm4b6SvcObyjRaDbKG/s762/OIAF%20Schedule.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="762" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwx8K-r9BGmiLjSP-ShVOOZNkMK8KvkLSDtqeCgKHBs5a2SkpVtydFwnlHgEhVLv6O8PcbcBBGr5dObcbrQbeCjrynCB9_Dxf87dmPvX189zSAz9_vlrTWwbYMusN1Xl3PsA04hnNQbG5aPL2Sxe94LAhiy9wewHORGL9uTnJm4b6SvcObyjRaDbKG/s320/OIAF%20Schedule.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This year's screening and event schedule had I been there.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Part of the fun for me is looking through all the events and screenings then putting together my personal OIAF schedule--taking care to ensure that I get to see and do everything on the list but still setting aside time to eat and sleep.</p><p>While there are always a lot of good films to watch, my favorite events have to be the four panorama screenings: Canadian, World, Canadian Student and World Student. It's those screenings that seem closest to my tastes and still have a wide variety of techniques and narrative structures.</p><p>However, given that Canada is still restricting who can enter their country, 2022 will be the second Ottawa International Animation Festival that I've missed in the past twenty-eight years. My first OIAF was in 1994 when I was a newly minted grad student at R.I.T., but the first one I didn't attend was in 2005. That was the year that the OIAF went to a yearly format. For several years before that, they had been running their Student Animation Festival in the off-years between their traditional biyearly Ottawa Festival.</p><p>This has turned out to be a similar situation to my Gen Con experience. As we've been travel restricted for the past two years, I've been attending the virtual events: Ottawa's online festival and Gen Con Online. Even though we couldn't be there in person, people didn't miss out as everything went virtual through streaming services and third-party websites. This year however, I attended Gen Con Online because even though the convention was held in-person in 2022, there were restrictions imposed by the convention that prevented a lot of us from attending. But, at least they still had online options. Ottawa is now going back to their fully in-person format. And as I can't cross the border into Canada, I won't be there.</p><p>It wouldn't be an issue if they still had an online offering of screenings and presentations like they did over the past two years. But, for whatever reason, the OIAF won't be doing a split-format this year. And I'm not getting down on them. Festival Artistic Director Chris Robinson and I have spoken in the past about how an online festival is far more work to pull off than you'd expect. Given what hoops we had to run through to move our ASIFA Central yearly retreats online, I don't doubt the fact that the Ottawa festival's efforts are exponentially greater. Personally, I think that they're making the right call doing either one or the other. It's been a tough two years and they need to make the best decisions possible for the long-term viability of the festival. I'd honestly rather miss out for a year than see an attempt at a hybrid online and in-person event with limited resources and end up losing the festival entirely.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S27hAwtYYuDR_fAbHhzZyk01m8JvUfHmylCYCU_cKpNAGi-E8k2ZZo2ZFpmiYkGc9Iwc8kGBFLzfLGgsU2CIsUuDfRQSJdunCIyPxQgRMj1BttAg9DbmNpjPb1FPqWkDS6f-ABRaDSsQVnMdvddE9iKGSkRc2KUKeendeZv-p_WT5W7DpqEzRimy/s2806/IMG_7919.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2806" data-original-width="1121" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S27hAwtYYuDR_fAbHhzZyk01m8JvUfHmylCYCU_cKpNAGi-E8k2ZZo2ZFpmiYkGc9Iwc8kGBFLzfLGgsU2CIsUuDfRQSJdunCIyPxQgRMj1BttAg9DbmNpjPb1FPqWkDS6f-ABRaDSsQVnMdvddE9iKGSkRc2KUKeendeZv-p_WT5W7DpqEzRimy/s320/IMG_7919.JPG" width="128" /></a></div>But it still aches. I look forward to visiting Canada every year. Throughout the year, I'd work extra jobs and save money so I could spend a couple days relaxing in Toronto, visiting with friends, and soaking up the culture. Some years I'd search through the used book stores for those rare, out-of-print treasures. Other years, I'd visit multiple cultural and artistic centers, like the various museums and the zoo where I'd take lots of photographs and videos for reference material all while doing some sketching in my sketchbooks. And then there was meeting up with friends in town and discovering some new restaurants as well as enjoying others from trips past. And there were always opportunities for personal growth. During my last trip to Canada in 2019, I confronted my fear of heights and did the CN Tower Edgewalk. After being energized by the short respite, I'd drive the remaining five hours to Ottawa and spend the next five days watching some of the best animated films the world has to offer all while talking to colleagues and enjoying the rich culture of Canada's capital city.<p></p><p>For Gen Con this year, since I couldn't be there in person, I attended their Online events but also made my own convention experience by playing some games with friends at my local game store and rebuilding a portion of my vintage gaming collection that was lost to the sands of time. This year, I plan to do something similar for Ottawa.</p><p>Instead of spending money on food, travel, hotels and the occasional souvenir in Canada, I'm going to save money for next year by doing things in the area that are relatively inexpensive.</p><p>I still plan on following the Festival on social media and watching the trailers and bumpers that they post on YouTube. But I'll be putting together my own schedule of films to watch during that week's vacation--I'm looking at you <i>Evangelion:3.0+1.01 (Thrice Upon A Time)</i> and <i>Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf</i>. Then there's the Netflix relaunch of <i>Bee and Puppycat</i> which went live on September 6--which I've been saving for a binge-watching session. And the latest episodes from season 6 of Rick and Morty... I'm definitely going to get my money's worth out of those streaming services. I'll also be ordering a couple program guides and t-shirts from the festival for my collection, just like I did in 2005. So I'll still have an unbroken series of program guides and festival readers running back to 1994. If I'm feeling up to it, I might even make a batch of "OIAF 2022" cupcakes for my "evening screenings". And since I'll still be in Michigan, there's no reason to take a vacation day from teaching at CMU. Nothing says "animation" like spending a day instructing students about the rich history of animated film and watching some cartoons with them.</p><p>Will also have to fit in a trip down to the Detroit Institute of Arts to soak up a little culture (I already have a yearly membership). And a visit to the zoo should be in order (I really need to dust off those sketchbooks and get some drawing time in). I've also got a copy of one of the last books Bendazzi wrote before he passed away, called '<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twice-First-Quirino-Cristiani-Animated/dp/1138554464" target="_blank">Twice the First: Quirino Cristiani and the Animated Feature Film</a>' which I'd like to read. And Chris Robinson has an <a href="https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/canadian-animation-after-well-sort-of-the-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR0rNn3yZkHsQzge6fAT68KFKPJTavH5qtz8vbugePbFGGDvETfdPY1tiJ8" target="_blank">article</a> on the state of Canadian animation which he published in August that I need to review. Should be a full week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ_X796Qkc5IwECPx9WXo3EP70BN_vLEahLYNN9FvEnhmFxdP7TkXQhOZ5kyXbw2TOmZM-kbJTBVuGczPgoLmAEkGQErz7r7AfPtjswN1SSDc9ko95C4-RgycKumnx61Me4si9mJEY_dBm2AMoDcdNrjpNj4dUuO-FIodtTPNG04lzwJQcpkK5zou/s4000/Howls_Moving_Castle_2700x4000.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ_X796Qkc5IwECPx9WXo3EP70BN_vLEahLYNN9FvEnhmFxdP7TkXQhOZ5kyXbw2TOmZM-kbJTBVuGczPgoLmAEkGQErz7r7AfPtjswN1SSDc9ko95C4-RgycKumnx61Me4si9mJEY_dBm2AMoDcdNrjpNj4dUuO-FIodtTPNG04lzwJQcpkK5zou/s320/Howls_Moving_Castle_2700x4000.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Interestingly enough, Fathom Events is bringing back Studio Ghibli's <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i> for a limited three-night screening during my vacation--starting on the last day of vacation. 'Howl' is one of the few Ghibli movies that I don't like. However, last semester, a student of mine wrote a term paper talking about 'Howl' and I have to admit that her paper was so well researched, so engaging, so interesting that it has awakened the desire to take another look at this movie with new eyes. Would be a nice endcap to the week off of work. So, all things considered, my vacation time can be enjoyed for very little in the way of out-of-pocket expenses.<p></p><p>I think though, one of the better uses of my vacation time will be to take a second look at a film that I've been trying to work on for a couple years now. The first step will be a quick viability study -- making sure that I have the time and the resources to complete it before next June. Then I'll do some quick thumbnail storyboards and see if the story still holds up. After that... who knows. Maybe I'll have an entry for 2023's festival.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfHqJZl11BU5L1nQ72tS14pIgdpePqyUtpu_nSF0r8llc8FsADp5a1F8QVawFaVRtroI1P0RtyjVl-HI-aPhUy57mnaqf5xfJ_n5caozI-jArtgMHOThVk1ccR2wcR7nxNpljO3xHgtqkRgfTJDDVN1iEI_7i2Mxq9IEtNUh670jJPnwW5ySiY1-Q/s2048/IMG_2339.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfHqJZl11BU5L1nQ72tS14pIgdpePqyUtpu_nSF0r8llc8FsADp5a1F8QVawFaVRtroI1P0RtyjVl-HI-aPhUy57mnaqf5xfJ_n5caozI-jArtgMHOThVk1ccR2wcR7nxNpljO3xHgtqkRgfTJDDVN1iEI_7i2Mxq9IEtNUh670jJPnwW5ySiY1-Q/s320/IMG_2339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Howl's Moving Castle image from GKIDS Presskit and is © 2004 Studio Ghibli - NDDMT</span></div>Charles Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223232596337545871noreply@blogger.com