Animated Thoughts: Keeping up with the animation goals

Lotte's "trick-table"

As mentioned previously, for the year of 2018, I set a goal for myself to produce an animation every month. Again, nothing "festival worthy" or anything like that, just something to get me animating on personal projects, sharpen my skills, and expand my toolkit.

Well, February had me tinkering with one of my 3d animation programs but it produced nothing of merit. I wasn't worried about that since by the time the end of the month was coming into view, I already knew that I'd be in Toronto on the first of March at an animation workshop.

So the following is February's animation: my segment of the group animation that we created during Lynn Dana Wilton's Silhouette Animation Workshop for the Toronto Animated Image Society.

(background by Lynn Dana Wilton)

While working on this animation I had a couple thoughts regarding how to approach my segment:

Having made them in the past, this time I didn't want to create a 'jointed' puppet like the other attendees were doing. Rather, I had thoughts of the models in PES's stop-motion film: The Deep. In The Deep, PES combines replacement object animation along with stop-motion animation in the shot with the calipers (seen at 0:24 to 0:32 in his film). This conjunction of two animation techniques allows him to achieve the illusion of weightlessness: the use of slight movements using stop-motion animation provided the impression that his objects were "floating" in the ocean depths, and using replacement animation (by swapping out different sets of calipers), he changes what would've been a static, one-model character into a much more dynamic character. The addition of replacement animation in this sequence enhances the "illusion of life".

Additionally, there were six attendees at the workshop (including me), which meant that individual time with the animation workstation was limited. So, how could I approach the animation in such a way that I could maximize my animation time with a minimum of trial-and-error under the camera? Well, after creating my puppets and sketching out a rough dope sheet, I tested the motion on the table (not Lotte's trick-table).

Dope Sheet... kind of...

The motion looked okay in my mind's eye, but I still wasn't sure about the timing. So I turned to my trusty iPhone. I've got an app called Stop Motion Studio (which I used to create the time-lapse animation RITchie during last year's R.I.T. homecoming). Although I didn't have any camera stand with me to keep my iPhone steady, I was able to capture the motion clearly enough to test out my timing.



As you can see, the first test sequence was much closer to what I wanted. But, rather than assuming that I got it right on the first try, I animated the jellyfish a little faster in the second sequence... just to be sure. After that test, I decided to stick with the first one for my final animation (although I did tweak it slightly in the final version).

Well, not finished with the whole 'under the sea' motif, I decided to keep playing with the idea for March's animation.

As March is Women's History Month, and I post interviews with women animators on this blog, I decided to pair up with the Grand Rapids Community Media Center and ASIFA Central to present a day celebrating women animators--which included a Silhouette and Cut-out animation workshop.

After providing instructions and getting everyone working on their films, there was still enough time in the workshop for me to settle down and do a little animation of my own--my animation for the month of March.


I didn't follow any dope-sheet for the timing on the fish, choosing instead to wing-it. But I followed my earlier timing on the jellyfish, albeit at a faster overall frame rate--I was pressed for time and didn't want to leave the students to their own devices for too long.

All-in-all, if I played with this idea again, I would make the timing of the jellyfish totally independent from the other fish and much, much slower. Additionally, I'd take a page from PES's book and add one to two more models to the jellyfish--probably something that I could add as one or two frames in order to add a little more anticipation and follow-through to the jellyfish's action leading to the upward motion.

Might also switch to computer animation so I can play with the timing and run through multiple variations without having to go back and reanimate the figures by hand over-and-over. In my not so humble opinion, that's one of the strengths of computer animation: it facilitates rapid learning via the ability to cycle through multiple variations in a short period of time.

In the time it took me to animate the jellyfish in both films under-the-camera, I could've done multiple variations in Flash or After Effects just by copying-and-pasting the frames and tweaking the motion of the jellyfish, or the number of frames (filming on twos or threes), or both.

I love animating under the camera, mainly due to the tactile feeling of the models as you move them from position to position. And the greater challenge of tweaking the external lighting so you get the best possible shot. Frame-by-frame flicker removal and color correction is a pain in the ass though. Between that and my desire to do multiple tests for timing, it might lead me to do April's animation completely in the computer.

Food for thought...

* * *

Women of Animation: Lotte's Desk

Life is full of adventures... if you know where to look.

I had heard from a friend of mine, Lynn Dana Wilton, that the Toronto Animated Image Society had acquired a light table used by Lotte Reiniger to produce her films during her short stay in Canada back in the 1970's (though Lotte called them "trick-tables").

Questions abounded: was this the desk that she used at the NFB? If so, did the NFB give it to TAIS, and if so, how did that come about? What did the desk look like? Did she have it built from one of her previous designs? Or from the diagrams in her book Shadow Theaters and Shadow Films? And most importantly, during Lynn's upcoming silhouette animation workshop, would I be allowed access to the desk in order to take photos and measurements?

Well, the only way to find the answers to my questions was to go there. So I registered for the event, gathered up my gear, made arrangements for lodging in Toronto, and drove to Ontario for the weekend.

Lotte Reiniger produced two films when she was in Canada. The first was Aucassin and Nicolette, which she created for the National Film Board of Canada. The second was The Rose and the Ring, produced for Gordon Martin and Associates Limited and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

This was the trick-table created for Lotte which she used to create The Rose and the Ring.

When I arrived at TAIS's production facility on Dufferin Street, Lynn escorted me back to Lotte's trick-table. She and I agreed that day: Lotte’s trick-table is both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.

It's underwhelming because it doesn’t look like anything special at first glance. But if you know the history of who it was built for, it leaves you standing there with a sense of awe. Lynn joked about how she was expecting little animation faeries flying around the trick-table. Personally, at the very least I was expecting a golden plaque with the words “Lotte Reiniger animated here” emblazoned on the side.

But there it was, and there we were. Face to table with a part of animation history.

Lotte Reiniger's Trick-Table

It wouldn't be until later that Lynn would introduce me to the table's previous owner: Jonathan Culp. Though it was over the internet, I had the pleasure of talking with him. Jonathan patiently fielded all of my questions regarding the table.

What he told me was how his grandfather, Donald Carman of Carman Educational Associates was one of the main people in bringing Lotte to the National Film Board of Canada back in the 1970's. Although, it was one of the producers of Lotte's two films, Gordon Martin, who had the table built for Lotte. Gordon was also a family friend of Jonathan's. And before they died, Gordon and his wife Patricia gave the trick-table to Jonathan. Patricia herself was an animation assistant on Lotte's film the Rose and the Ring and she created her own silhouette animation on the trick-table, titled the Princess and the Pig Boy. Though he didn't know for sure, he believes that the trick-table was built by the Martin family--however he's going to ask one of the Martin's children for more details in the not too distant future.

Well, Jonathan, being a member of TAIS, generously donated Lotte's table to the organization.

"Lotte Animated Here"

And there it sits. A piece of animation history that has been given a new life with a new generation of animators using it to create their films…

While everyone else was making their silhouette puppets--and during my turn to animate on the table--I was crawling all over Lotte's trick-table with a camera and a couple of tape measures, taking photographs and making sketches, measurements, and designs of her trick-table... my intention being for it to be the subject of a future blog post.

Well, rather than put together an elaborate puppet with hinged joints, I've had visions of PES's deep sea animation running through my head, so I decided to do a little substitution animation instead of using a fully-jointed silhouette puppet. That and I wanted to spend more time sketching and measuring the table.



After I left the studio that evening, I already had future plans running through my head.

Membership at the Toronto Animated Image Society, a Studio Membership, costs $50 Canadian per year. But with this membership level, it offers you the perk that you can rent their studio facilities to work on your own films. In this case: the "Lotte" Studio which costs $20 per day.

I’ve already planned a return trip to Toronto in the Fall. And as I’m a member of TAIS, I can rent Lotte’s trick-table for the day for the measly sum of $20 Canadian.

Life is full of adventures... if you know where to look.

Animated Thoughts: TAIS 2013 AniJam or "what I did on my pre-summer vacation..."

After submitting a short on the subject of "UFO's" to the annual TAIS AniJam, it was finally time for the drive to Toronto to see if the ten-second gag would get a laugh or not. A couple chuckles is really the most I can hope for. Every year, the TAIS ten-second film topic is announced and every year I wrack my brain until I figure out one good idea--which usually morphs into at least three or four really funny ideas--before I procrastinate, set aside the project in favor of billable work, or simply pass out due to exhaustion. And yet, a day or two before the film is due, something goes off in my brain telling me that I have to create a silly little gag film that reflects my off-kilter sense of humor, all so I can represent as the only American member of TAIS by driving to Toronto for the weekend. The ten-second shorts that I produce never live up to the raucous, gut-busting films that I see in my imagination as I invariably accept ten-seconds of animation that is far, far less then it could be since I'm only spending a few hours working on them the night before they're due. On the one hand, I'm reminded that this is why I did so poorly in undergrad, but on the other hand, I fool myself into thinking that I'm prioritizing my projects since the paying gigs are what helps me pay off the student loans with a little left over for that monthly Adobe Creative Cloud membership. However, these little ten-second gag films are what allows me to maintain whatever artistic sensibilities I have, so if ten-seconds every Spring is all it takes, who am I to complain? Especially since it means a weekend trip to Toronto where I can be a part of the most vibrant animation community in the Great Lakes region.

Friday began as it usually did, with me leaving home around 7 a.m. and making the five hour drive to Canada's largest city with a list of stuff to do over the weekend. After arrival and check-in at my hotel (and receiving yet more proof at the border that my purchase of a NEXUS pass was an extremely wise one when I was waived right through security), I braved the construction in downtown Toronto to arrive at the St. Lawrence Market for lunch. A jar of gourmet mustard purchased for my brother and a pea-bacon sandwich later, I reviewed my list of used books and bookstores and then started walking through the underground city. This year, the plan was to continue the research started at the MSU and R.I.T. libraries and save myself overdue library book fines by hunting down my own copies.

The first find of the day was at 'BMV Books' just north of the Eaton Centre: the 2004 printing of "Animation Now". I have the hardback 2007 reprint, unfortunately, that printing removed sections on CalArts, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, La Poudrière, and Supinfocom nor did it come with the sample DVD of animators' films. While I like the smaller footprint of the hardback 2007 copy, still I wanted the earlier printing to fill in the gaps left from the later printing. I also discovered a near-mint copy of the "Nelvana Story" and the hardback "Animation Magazine: the 20-Year Collection".

The good thing was that they were very reasonably priced--only one or two dollars more than what I could get online and all were in excellent condition. The bad thing is that two were hardback copies, all three books were a combined eight pounds, and together were the size of a large dictionary. Still elated from my discoveries, I made the admittedly poor decision to not go back to the hotel and drop the books off before continuing my search through all the used bookstores in Downtown Toronto that I could find. My visits to 'Silver Snail', 'ABC Books', 'She Said Boom Books and Records', and a couple others not on my list were fruitless--some good finds, but nothing I didn't already have. Had hoped to find something good at 'She Said Boom' since that was where I found Karen Mazurkewich's "Cartoon Capers" a couple years back, but there wasn't anything there and the girl working the counter was pretty rude, so I went on my way.

The Bloor Street location of 'BMV Books' was much more rewarding as it was there that I found a slightly-used copy of Giannalberto Bendazzi's "Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation". Knowing that Bendazzi is going to be releasing an updated copy of this book later this year, I didn't want to encounter the same issue as I did with "Animation Now". I'm confident that the additional information that Bendazzi is going to add in the updated version will be worth it, however, just in case he has to remove existing pages to make it all fit within a reasonable page count, I'd rather have my own copy now.

Satisfied with the day's deals, I returned to the hotel for a change of clothes. Needless to say, sitting in front of the computer for over ten hours a day over the past four years isn't a very good workout to prepare yourself for a day of walking all around downtown Toronto in close to 80 degree weather!

After a shower and nursing some blisters, I discovered that it had started raining. Even with an umbrella, I was going to get all wet again. So I stopped by the local Anime store (no love there, but admittedly the DVDs I'm looking for are pretty hard to find) then trudged through the rain to dinner at Hero Burger, and finally returned to the Grange Hotel. I spent the rest of the evening watching the last four episodes of "BTOOOM!" before doing some work in my production journal on the paint-on-glass film that I 'owe my Auntie Martine'. The Grange Hotel may be spartan, but their rooms have wireless routers. Makes for easy, uninterrupted streaming of anime over my iPad. "BTOOOM!" is another example of how far ahead of the game the Japanese are when compared to my American bretheren when it comes to breaking out of the animation age ghetto. The story may be slightly recycled from "Battle Royale", but it's still filled with solid storytelling geared for a more mature audience. Afterwards, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to solve a couple problems with my storyboards. I guess sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to jar your creativity and allow the ideas to flow through your pencil.

Saturday was research day for new material for my sister blog "Animated Women" (no pun intended). After breakfast, I went to the Toronto Reference Library to scour their film and animation section, much like I did at R.I.T. and MSU. Having been warned ahead of time by Patrick Jenkins that the Toronto Comic Arts Festival was in full swing, I tried to arrive as early as possible. But even then, there were hundreds of people mulling around, buying product and getting autographs from independent (and some not-so-independent) artists in the comic book scene, like the Hernandez brothers and J. Scott Campbell.

Was kind of unimpressed with all the crowds of people at the TCAF tables set up on the Library's main floor, so I went up to the fifth floor, which was much quieter and far less crowded! Still, it was five flights of stairs after being sore from all the previous day's walking. Again, not one of my more well thought out plans, but that's where the film and animation section was. There wasn't a whole lot there that I hadn't seen before, but I was able to review a couple books that are on my short-list: "British Animation: The Channel 4 Factor" by Clare Kitson, "French Animation History", by Richard Newpert and "The World History of Animation" by Stephen Cavalier. It was in Cavalier's book that I discovered a reference to the only book on cut-out animation that Terry Gilliam wrote: "Animations of Mortality". Gilliam, while still working with Monty Python, wrote this surreal little book in the United Kingdom back in 1978 and it only had one print run. It was also a book that I had seen on Friday as I searched through used bookstores--but I couldn't remember which one. Nightmares of running around Toronto a second time swam through my head and the clock was ticking as I was meeting Lynn Dana Wilton for dinner at 4:30 p.m.

As the cosplayers and furries were starting to increase in number, I needed no greater reason to leave the throngs of TCAF attendees behind. So, I hastily exited the library and retraced my previous day's path in nearly reverse order starting with 'She Said Boom'. The book was not there, however, a different yet equally rude employee was. After deciding never to darken their doorstep again, I went back to' BMV Books' on Bloor Street. And sure enough, there it was. Turns out I had passed it over when I saw the slightly-used copy of Bendazzi's "Cartoons" on the shelf below. The copy purchased, I returned to the hotel for another shower. After two candy bars, some serious hydration, and watching a guilty pleasure, the latest simulcasted episode of "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute" (season two) streamed via CrunchyRoll's iPad app, I went to meet up with Lynn for dinner at the Kit Kat before we attended the TAIS AniJam screening.

Time flew by as we talked about our films, the motivations behind our projects, the state of the industry, and traveling to festivals. It was only through dumb luck that I checked the time on my phone during one of the very few lapses in conversation. We had talked through dinner and were left with only ten minutes to walk to the Cinecycle before the TAIS program began! Not more than once on the brisk walk up Spadina did I wish that I had more opportunities to break bread with colleagues--if for no other reason than the conversation.

There were some great films during the screening, and I loved how there was a wide variety of media and technique, but my favorites had to be the following:

"Hula Hoop" by Tess Martin was ninety seconds of visual wow! The story is a metaphor for the age old 'circle of life' tale animated with sand. But, in several places, the fluidity of the animation and precision with which the characters stayed on model left both Lynn and I wondering if some parts of this film were rotoscoped or if she had snuck in some computer animation. It's really refreshing to see some of the older, non-digital media used, but even more so when it's executed as well as this.
Hula Hoop from Tess Martin on Vimeo.


"The McIntosh Apple" by Janice Schulman was only a minute long, but this cute little mini-documentary about a "Great Canadian Invention" told the origin story of the McIntosh apple using a palette of bold lines and colored pencil textures.


Directed by Astra Burka and animated by Pasquale La Montagna, "My Titanic Uncle" was a wonderful "drawn on glass" documentary that told the tragic story of Burka's great-great-uncle Adolphe Saalfeld--a man who survived the sinking of the Titanic but was never able to overcome the stigma of being a survivor.


The screening ended on a high note with "Like Rabbits", the sequel to Osman Cerfon's delightfully twisted "Sticky Ends". A trailer for the continuing tale of the 'fish headed man' can be seen on Vimeo.



Madi Piller and Chuck Wilson

Special notice must be made for TAIS President Madi Piller's film "Animated Self-Portraits" where she contacted a plethora of Canadian animators with the instruction of creating an animated self-portrait using a cycle of only twelve drawings. While the film has not been released online, Acme Art and Works has posted the DVD packaging artwork on their website.

Afterwards, it was time to have a drink at the Cinecycle's bar and chat with fellow animators before dropping Lynn off at her home, driving back to my hotel, and falling asleep before my head hit the pillow. As nice as it was to see everyone again, the highlight of the meet-and-greet after the screening had to be bumping into Graydon Liang of the Canadian Animation Blog who has been advising me as I make the transition to shooting traditional animation with a DSLR camera. Walking away with another two pieces of the image-flicker puzzle, hopefully, I'll get to start filming my paint-on-glass film sooner rather than later.



Sunday arrived way too soon and immediately became a mixed bag for me. My plan to visit the Toronto Zoo was almost thwarted by a marathon that shut down nearly every entrance to the Gardiner expressway around Spadina Avenue. But, after finally making it to the Zoo, an hour behind schedule, the beautiful weather broke and it started to hail as I walked up to the admissions booth. The rest of the trip to the zoo consisted of me leaning into my umbrella against the rain and wind as I rushed from one enclosed display to the next. But, the critters inside the displays seemed to be a lot more active than the ones outside, and the weather kept most of the people away, so I had some time to collect photo and video references for animals that I usually only get to see in passing. My main reason for visiting the zoo was thwarted when I discovered that the newly renovated Asia section had been shut down to finish preparations for the giant panda display which would be opening in six days. Doom on me.

One of the more interesting things that happened there was when I encountered a girl who was drawing a peacock. A short chat revealed that she was a student who wanted to go to CalArts. So, at her request, I looked at her portfolio and gave her encouragement on her drawings--which displayed an excellent grasp of perspective, proportion and gesture. But as I walked away, I was angry at myself for not having a card that I could hand her to promote the interviews on my AnimatedWomen.info blog--the interviews being far more encouraging and informative than anything I could muster in a five minute conversation.

So, slightly crestfallen, I drove back to the hotel figuring that I'd walk around Kensington Market and maybe visit the chocolatier before going to dinner.

Patrick Jenkins

However, as fate would have it, when I returned to the Grange and checked my e-mail it turned out that Patrick Jenkins had sent me an invitation to come up and see his studio if I was still in town. A short jaunt on Toronto's public transportation later, and I got to spend the better part of the afternoon visiting with Patrick as he showed me his animation setup and provided me some first-hand advice on how he solved the flicker issue with his DSLR camera setup. Afterwards, he showed me the preliminary storyboards and test shots for his third NoirLand film. Not more than once during the afternoon, I was kicking myself for not bringing my digital audio recorder from home and continuing last February's interview.

After dinner, I was tired from yet another day of walking, so I picked up a drink on the way back to the Grange and watched the latest simulcasted episode of "A Certain Scientific Railgun S" on Funimation's iPad app. Again, sleep came easy that night as I reflected on the main advantage of being wired in to the net: 24/7 access to animation, be it through Crunchyroll, Funimation, the NFB's iOS app, or a plethora of other services more than willing to take my money in exchange for sending me animated film wherever I am in North America.

Monday morning rolled around sooner than expected and it was time to go, though I probably could've used another day or two in Toronto. There were still several used bookstores that I hadn't visited, but they would have to wait until this Fall when I stop through on my way to the Ottawa International Animation Festival. I bade farewell to the Grange for another few months and took the streetcars to breakfast at Marche Movenpik--one of the few landmarks still remaining from the days back in the '70's when my parents would bring me and my sister here for vacation. On the way back, I walked past the former location of 'Ginsburg & Wong', a Jewish deli/Chinese restaurant that was one of the three restaurants that my family would always visit on our vacations. With TAIS moving their offices away from the waterfront, the NFB Mediatheque closing their center on John Street, and the Silver Snail moving their store to Yonge Street, I drove home wondering how many places in Toronto that make it feel like a home away from home will soon only live in my memories?

Animated Thoughts: TAIS SummerJam 2012

June had arrived, so that meant it was time to make my yearly visit to Toronto for the TAIS summer screening. Due to a scheduling conflict with the first ever TAAFI festival, our screening was moved to the beginning of June instead of our usual last weekend of June. That was the first major change that I encountered during this trip, but sadly it wouldn't be the last.

I am sad to report that this was the final TAIS summer screening to be held at the NFB Mediatheque. It turns out that the National Film Board of Canada will be closing several of its Mediatheque locations including the one on John Street. And if that wasn't enough of a kick in the gut, the building that housed TAIS and all our production equipment was sold by the city to a developer. So, our board of directors is currently looking for a new location as we've received our walking papers. While I understand that change is inevitable, losing those two locations still hurts my heart.

My first TAIS workshop was with Martine Chartrand at the NFB Mediatheque on John Street. Since then, I've returned to both the Mediatheque and the TAIS production offices several times each year to take workshops, attend screenings, and be a part of the vibrant animation community that both TAIS and the NFB support in Toronto. While I do not know of any plans to re-open the Mediatheque in a different area in Toronto, TAIS will be moving to a new location in the not too distant future. One can only hope that the new location will provide some benefits that overcome what we are losing -- like a small theatre to screen our films.

But, on Friday evening, I arrived at the Mediatheque for the TAIS competition screening--blissfully ignorant of the massive changes to our beloved community. Like earlier screenings, there was a wonderful variety of subject matter and techniques to be found in the films. I absolutely loved Patrick Jenkins' new paint-on-glass film "Sorceress" and as usual, my 10 second AniJam entry film got a good round of laughs. Afterwards, during the after screening party, I spent a fair amount of quality time talking to Lynn Dana Wilton about our web presences, professional reactions to her Women in Animation interview on my blog, and a couple of our ideas that have been floating around in the ether. I'm pleased to report that Lynn has had a few job offers based upon her increased web presence (including my interview of her and her new Vimeo page). However, schedules must be kept and Lynn had to catch a train back home. So, after the Mediatheque closed and we said our goodbyes, a small group of us drove over to Chinatown for dinner and discussion of the films. This afterglow experience has come to be one of my favorite parts of the TAIS events. I love hearing about what everyone else is working on and it's a great opportunity to cross-pollininate ideas and techniques with other animators.

Well, through the magic of the Internet (and the willingness of animators to use said Internet to promote and distribute their films), here are some links to films that I really enjoyed.

"Sorceress" by Patrick Jenkins
Admittedly, I'm biased because Patrick has become one of my favorite independant filmmakers over the years. However, Patrick's film "Sorceress" continues his exploration into a film-noir world of paint-on-glass animation.


"Sticky Ends" by Osman Cerfon
While it's a little too dark for my tastes, this film has an impeccable sense of timing and wit that carries it's subject matter past the realm of gruesome into that rare spot reserved for Wil-e Coyote and the Roadrunner cartoons.


"Snowdrifter" by Mack Carruthers
Cute character, decent animation with a funny payoff at the end of the film.


"Luminaris" by Juan Pablo Zaramella
It's rare that you see pixillation much less pixillation that is done well. This was a very fun film that provides an interesting snapshot into the heart of Argentinian bureaucracy.


"More than Winning" by Nick Fox-Geig
 I like the stream-of-consciousness images paired up with the tight, focused narration.
More Than Winning from Nick Fox-Gieg on Vimeo.

Also, check out his film "The Orange" on his Vimeo page if you get the chance.

"(Re)Cycle" by Lynn Dana Wilton
Having seen Lynn's film on a television during her TAIS workshop, it was really fun to see how well her designs and animation played out on a large, theatre-sized screen.


And here's my entry in the AniJam "Technical Difficulties" theme:
Now granted, I was gearing my film towards the crowd, but it still got a genuine laugh nonetheless.

Well, as the TAIS and NFB screenings were Friday and Saturday evening, I had lots of time during the weekend to walk around Toronto and see the sights, as well as funnel a little spending cash into the local economy whenever I saw the rare item that I could live without, but choose not to -- like the Gundam 08th Team mecha and hovertank figures I found at the Silver Snail. It was a close race between that and the 6" Gigan PVC figure, but having seen those for sale on Amazon.com, I figured I could pick one up later. When would I ever see a mint Gundam 08th Team figure with the hovertank all the accessories for $20 Canadian? If they had a Mothra figure in stock, it would've been a far more difficult decision. Del Toro's film "Pacific Rim" can't get finished fast enough!

But, more often than not, over the weekend I found myself revisiting locations from my memories of past trips as far back as 1975: the CN Tower, the Eaton Centre, the underground city, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the NFB, LeMarche Movenpik, the former location of Gingsburg and Wong, and the Lake Ontario waterfront. I walked away with no epiphanies other than the cliche about how the only constant out there is change.

On Saturday, I walked over to the Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario (thanks again for the ticket Madi). While I've always been more of a Monet and Renoir fan, I was awestruck by the variety of Picasso's work, especially the contrast between his paintings using lush, defined brushstrokes versus the ones that represented figures using geometric color patterns. The AGO did a great job arranging the paintings, drawings and sculpture chronologically and they even provided a handout that explained what was going on in Picasso's life during each period and how it influenced his art.

Since the NFB's evening animation screening wasn't for a couple hours, I walked down to the CN Tower and had lunch at the Horizon's restaurant overlooking the waterfront. As my thoughts tried to process the future loss of the NFB over an incredible view of Toronto, I took the time to stand on the glass floor. Nothing like gut-wrenching fear (or a near death experience) to shock you out of a dark place. My mind moving back towards a balanced center, I snapped some photographs of the trains at the foot of the Tower, then walked down by the harborfront and did some reading. A short streetcar ride back to Queen and Spadina and I arrived just in time to see all the ambulances and firetrucks on the way to the Eaton Centre. Turns out that there had been a gang shooting in the food court that I walked through the previous day. The shooter's target was dead and several bystanders were caught in the crossfire. Darkness, it would seem, was determined to make it's presence felt.

That evening, I made my last trip to the NFB Mediatheque for their animation screening "Creations, Obsessions, and Sensations". It was filled with classics like "Hot Stuff", "Every Child" and "Great Toy Robbery" as well as newer films from classic directors--like Paul Driessen's "Oedipus". While the films were good and the company was better, the weekend ended up overcast when Madi told me the news that TAIS had been served notice that their building was sold to developers so we had to find a new location by the Fall.

Sunday I drove home. I left Toronto with a sense of melancholy since it would be the last time I'd experience TAIS and the NFB in it's current state. As the Gardnier Expressway was closed down, I had to find a route along the East side of Toronto through Greektown and over by the science center before I could find an open entry onto the 401. As frustrating as it was to get out of Toronto, the different sights made me think about how much of the city I have yet to see. So when the TAIS board moves us into a new location, there will be new sights to see and things to do before and after the next workshop. So I would end my trip on a high-note, and put an end to the melancholy, I stopped by the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory (now with quail) and got some beautiful photographs.

Women in Animation: Lynn Dana Wilton

Lynn Dana Wilton

Lynn Dana Wilton is one of those reasons why I make the four hour drive to Toronto every couple of months and attend the TAIS workshops. As the industry becomes more and more digital--all the while chanting the mantra of "faster-cheaper"--we run the risk of seeing traditional methods of animation not being passed on. Not only does taking the time to animate under the camera offer that tactile experience of working with traditional materials that you can't get with a computer, but it also offers us the opportunity learn some of the many innovations puzzled out by these artists. Workshops like Lynn's offers animators the opportunity to be mentored by those who have gone before and are willing to share their tips, tricks, and techniques--often discovered during tight deadlines.

When I met Lynn and heard her discuss her background while we constructed our paper puppets, I knew that I had found someone with a rich variety of experience that needed to be shared. For this year's Women in Animation month, Lynn brings us some hard won wisdom directly from her time battling through the trenches of the animation industry along with some sage advice that is applicable to your career no matter who you are.

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Q: What is your current job description?
A: Freelance animator/artist/designer (yeah, I know, that covers a lot of ground) but my commercial work is on IMDb and you can find both my Commercial Demo Reel and some more experimental work posted on Vimeo ('www.imdb.com/name/nm4357411' and 'www.vimeo.com/lynnscrowbar', respectively').

This past year I’ve also been doing a little comic book work, sold my first creative short story to “On Spec” magazine, and have dipped a toe into teaching.


Commercial Demo Reel (current) from Lynn Dana Wilton on Vimeo.


Q: How long have you worked in the animation industry?
A: I started at Sheridan in 1998 (at the age of 31) and graduated in 2001.  I also have a few previous careers and hold a BAAID from Ryerson.  I worked as a registered (ARIDO) healthcare/institutional designer but have also been an opera production designer, worked in the commercial appraisal industry, and a host of pay-the-rent, pink-collar-ghetto gigs.  It’s amazing how many of them have informed my animation, though.

Q: What roles have you performed during your career in animation?
A: Commercially, I’ve worked most often as a stop-motion animator for TV series and specials but I’ve also worked in set and prop build, set dressing, and puppet build.  As well, I’ve used a range of experimental techniques as an independent animator (both alone and part of the group Scratch Track).  These include direct scratch/burn/etc. on film, hand-drawn sound on film, sand, paper puppet, object animation, et. al.  As an independent, you end up doing every role from concept development, writing, and direction right through to editing and promotion ... so a little of everything.

Q: Is there a book or film that you worked on that you are particularly proud of?
A: There’s something to be proud of in every project, even commercially where you’re hired to set aside your own objectives (and sometimes your sensibilities) for the sake of your director’s vision or the needs of the producer or the studio or the budget or the deadline ... you get the idea.

BUT ...

... I love the way “Lunar Jim”, a CBC/BBC/Alliance-Atlantis/Halifax Film Corp. co-production, turned out.  I feel good about the mix of positive life lessons for kids and a really lovely aesthetic there.

I’m also immensely proud of (and, in hindsight, a little amazed!) at what our tiny built-from-scratch studio (for Alliance-Atlantis) managed to do on 2nd season “Henry’s World”.  That was a phenomenally talented crew and uniquely tight bunch that became good friends.  I would work with them again any day of the week.

I was also thrilled nearly to death to animate a bit on “A Miser Brothers’ Christmas” for Dave Thomas at Cuppa Coffee.  I sang Christmas songs every July day I got to handle Heat Miser or Snow Miser.  I did better and more elaborate/challenging animation on several other productions at the same studio but nothing compared to the feeling of working on a project so tied to the Rankin-Bass productions I loved so much as a kid.

Independently, I’m proud of my experimental short “(Re)Cycle”, especially the sand animation sequence.  It was produced for the 2011 Nuit Blanche festival in Toronto and I’m grateful to Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS) for selecting my proposal and supporting the whole process.  I’m pleased I was able to integrate so many techniques into a single piece and (hopefully!) still managed to make the transitions feel natural.

"(Re)Cycle" from Lynn Dana Wilton on Vimeo.

And I am HUGELY proud of Scratch Track.  To this day, I have never seen anything quite like it.  At one point the small army we’d assembled fell apart but we ended up with an incredible core of dedicated individuals.  The indomitable Ellen Besen facilitated our work with the one-of-a-kind Richard Reeves who generously shared his storehouse of knowledge with us.  By the time we  (Ryan Fairley, Matt Ferguson, Mike Weiss, and I) hit the stage at the Ottawa Festival in 2002 we knew we had something special.  I will always have it in my demo reel.



Scratch Track from Lynn Dana Wilton on Vimeo.

Q: How have opportunities changed for women pursuing a career in animation today as opposed to when you started your career?
A: Not nearly enough and, I fear, in some spheres, in the wrong direction.  A friend who worked in gaming ten years ago has recently been exposed to that part of the industry again and she’s horrified by how many fewer women are working in it.

I am always the oldest female animator working on any production (but, for the sake of balance, sometimes, being in my mid-40s, am the oldest animator, period).  It’s frustrating to see the number of female animators drop exponentially as they age up.  Many of the women who started out so enthusiastically have admitted to me that they get tired of the behaviour they have to put up with in the studio system and finally move into an associated field.

At the same time, I’m told by friends who teach, there are more women in the school programmes than there used to be.  I find this heartening.  Maybe this is the generation that will finally create a more balanced playing field, and with it, bring some much-needed diversity (gender-based and otherwise) to a broader industry.  Once that happens we’ll be able to get animation to appeal to a much broader audience ... which will result in more work for all of us.

Q: What do you think is the biggest obstacle to women who want to pursue a career in animation?
A: Actually, I believe there are TWO issues that provide an equal level of challenge.

THE BOYS’ CLUB:  I find this question really splits according to the age of the women it’s asked of.  When I was in my 20s I would have said things were rosy (I was in a different industry then but the sense of personal empowerment is consistent).  I assumed if you had a good work ethic, did good work, and behaved in a professional manner your gender made no difference.

As I get older I find it’s difficult to maintain that view.  You gain experience, watch the progress of friends and colleagues, and see more of the industry from a wider range of perspectives.

There’s a theory that as people age men get more conservative and women get more radical.  I can name numerous exceptions but, in a broad brush kind of way, I do see definite signs of it in the animation industry.  I think younger women find it easier to be “one-of-the-boys” but there are more barriers to this as they get older.

There seems to be a basic difference in the way the genders present themselves when they are even searching for a position utilising a degree of the “unknown”.  Men are generally more comfortable presenting themselves as confident in their abilities even if they’re not very familiar with the skills required for a potential job – they trust they’ll figure it out on the go.  In general, I find women more likely to undersell their abilities:  not wanting to present themselves as an expert unless they’ve racked up a lot of experience even if they’ve proven again and again that they get up to speed quickly.  This means they don’t interview as well even if they would be at an equivalent level of competency.

And it’s difficult to break into certain positions if you don’t socialise in certain ways.  I actually know a couple of situations where women couldn’t bring themselves to go to strip joints with ‘the guys’ and felt they were missing out on the bonding or networking that casually took place there.  On a less extreme level, a lot of women get tired of scatological humour sooner than men do (unless it’s very clever and original) so just casually joking around can sometimes put people on different sides of the room.

There can be gender differences involved in conflict resolution as well.  I’ve known women who felt incredibly uncomfortable animating certain scenes they found deeply offensive (more pervasive in the late-night TV genres) but felt they were sabotaging their chances of future work if they spoke out against it.  I’ve also run into men who felt that if a woman tried to address a problem in a diplomatically tactful way it meant she wasn’t being straight with them.  Of course, there are men AND women who are just plain lacking in confidence and defensive so approaching them about ANYTHING gets interpreted as a personal attack ... but you can’t do anything about that.

Working conditions can also have gender specific issues.  I’ve known women who felt they weren’t perceived as having a good work ethic because they were unwilling to work into the middle of the night in a mostly deserted studio in an industrial part of town out of concerns for personal safety.  I also find women more likely (though, by no means exclusively) to speak out against health and safety or hostile workplace concerns – then be ostracized as not being “team players” for not sucking it up.

Of course, these are HUGE generalisations I’m making.  For every statement I’ve made I can name at least one exception that went in the opposite direction.  Certainly, misogynistic behaviour can come from women, too.  And for each issue that seems to indicate a problem of misogyny, there could be a version that meant someone else, male or female, was dealing with homophobia, intolerance to their ethno-cultural background, ageism, etc.

If you truly love animation, read this ... then put it in the back of your mind.  Whatever field you go into, you’ll run into challenges.  I still think you should go after what you want and find a way to do it on YOUR terms.

The other big obstacle is:

INSTABILITY (FINANCIAL AND OTHERWISE):  If you can be disciplined enough to live on half of what you earn (or less!), if you can remain geographically mobile and maintain personal relationships over fluctuating distances, and if you can find ways to truly enjoy your life without spending much outside of necessities, you may have the stomach for the animation rollercoaster.  Some spheres are more stable than others but there are waves of feast and famine in all of them ... some just a lot more frequent than others.  Some areas like feature film and “lower tech” styles, i.e. classical, stop-motion, etc., are very dependent on trends to support their financing.  Other areas like gaming, advertising, and “cutting edge tech” styles a little less so.  Experimental animation has very little support ... and it’s getting less.

Develop good personal finance habits ASAP.  Get yourself educated.  If you’re looking for an accessible gateway book, “Balancing Act” by Joanne Thomas Yaccato is targeted at women and, while some of the information is specific to Canadian women, will still get you up on the basics in a very readable and non-baffling fashion.  To be honest, I’ve bought copies for or lent it to male friends and they still found it very useful.

Attack your debt ... aggressively!
Build an Emergency Fund when you can (how many months is up to you but I aim for a half-year to a year’s worth).
Put towards your “retirement” as soon as your debt is under control (10% is a typical figure).
Define “necessity” and “luxury” ... then reexamine that definition.

Develop good mental health habits, too!  If you have a tendency to be easily derailed or demoralised, start building up your mental toolbox right away.  And you need to take command of your life in a very self-assured fashion.  As Tom Robbins’ “Jitterbug Perfume” advises:

“Should you fail to pilot your own ship, don’t be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked.  The dull and prosaic will be granted adventures that will dice their central nervous systems like an onion, romantic dreamers will end up in the rope yard.”

... and ...

“The price of self-destiny is never cheap, and in certain situations it is unthinkable.  But to achieve the marvelous, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought.”

There is no shame in being either type but you need to be honest enough with yourself to know which you are or, more accurately, which degree of grey between them suits your temperament.  Once you know that, you can go after the experiences that will suit you best.

And be creative – that’s your strength, don’t forget it.

Q: If your daughter said that she wanted to work in animation, what advice would you give her?
A: KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY:  Even if your great love lies in the more tactile, hand-made techniques, it’s good to keep expanding your toolbox.  At least, my personal experience would suggest you’ll have an easier time keeping a roof over your head if you don’t turn your nose up at new approaches ... even if you find some of them lacking soul.  Learn them first THEN decide whether to apply them.

STAY WELL-ROUNDED:  Nothing gets old faster than animation in-jokes.  Read.  Travel.  Stay/make friends (yes, even OUTSIDE the industry) and maintain those relationships.  Read.  Play sports or exercise.  See good movies, art exhibits, concerts, and theatre.  Read.  Get out in nature.  Nurture an interest in something completely different.  Is family important?  Spend some time with them.  Did I mention, READ!?  You’re not going to have anything to bring to animation if animation is the sum total of your whole life.

STAY HAPPY AND HEALTHY:  Protect your most important tool:  YOURSELF!  Develop good habits – it’s never too late.  And make them so routine that, when things are tough, you don’t even question making time for them.

Almost no commercial work comes with sick days, benefits, or pensions anymore.  The best insurance you can carry is to put off infirmity for as long as possible by taking care of yourself.  That means paying attention to your diet and exercise.  It also means balancing stress and relaxation.  Saving for regular physicals, dentist visits, ophthalmologist appointments, psychiatric tune-ups, whatever.  And think hard about any “vices” that don’t support your able longevity.

Animation can be really hard on your body, your mind, and your spirit.  The postures for everything from stop-motion and classical to computer generated puts unhealthy strain for extended periods on everything from backs to your carpal tunnel.  As a stop-mo animator, my heel spurs and shin splints are a big problem when I’m standing and leaning forward for eight hours or more on concrete.  Animators frequently don’t get enough sunshine, exercise, or human contact – especially hard if you’ve got issues with depression and anxiety.  Your visual focal length doesn’t get exercised outside of a few feet.  And the higher stress the environment (especially if deadlines are coming down) the more likely animators are wolfing down poor quality fast food and drinking lots of caffeine or sugar (or worse).

If you can train yourself to avoid the things that don’t help and wedge in the things that do, you’re on the way to keeping your most important tool in good shape.  Animation is also more lifestyle than job.  Certainly, still loving what you do makes it less of a “job” but it would be nice to get to a certain age and CHOOSE to keep working ... not HAVE to.

LEARN TO LIVE WITH LESS (AND LIKE IT!):  Avoid stuff.  This is a “do as I say, not as I do” one!  I have a storage locker with 8,000 lbs. of books and furniture stranded in one province while I’ve been living in another ... for a few YEARS.  Yes, I know:  terrible!

The more mobile you are the freer you’ll be to travel to another city, province, state, country, or continent for that dream job.  And the CHEAPER it will be, too.  It costs bucks to move a lot of heavy or delicate stuff.  It costs more to house it when you could be living in a smaller, cheaper space, too – to say nothing of the environmental cost.

If you can start learning to live with your experiences and memories and not so much the physical representations of them or what expensive toys represent to your sense of personal success, you’ll be on your way to a leaner and more nimble lifestyle; one which suits an animator far better.

Q: What is the most important thing that authority figures (parents/teachers/professors) can do to encourage girls who are considering a career in animation?
A: ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD DO THIS IF THEY WON THE LOTTERY.  ASK THEM IF THEY LOVE IT.

And I really mean this!

It’s a difficult but rewarding life when you do ... it is brutal, dispiriting, and soul-destroying if you don’t.  It’s also a short road to being a bitter, old woman before your time.  Or a bitter, old man, for that matter.  There’s nothing gender-specific about this response.

Some people get into this industry for a lot of the wrong reasons.  They may love watching animation, not doing it.  They may think there’s money to be made.  They may think there’s some kind of glamour, romance, or prestige attached to it.  They may think it’s a good compromise between art and “a real job”.  With all the best of intentions, they may be making a decision that looks good on paper but doesn’t take the reality of the situation into account.

Animation is HARD.  It’s also WONDERFUL.  I completely lose track of time when it’s going well.  When it’s not, the day couldn’t be any longer.  But, while I have had days where I practically ran out of a studio (or stomped out in a mood) thinking, “That was the worst day EVER!!!” I have NEVER come out thinking, “I hate this stupid job!”

That’s not to say I haven’t worked under some pretty nasty conditions or, more rarely, with some nasty people.  Generally, I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with so very many wonderful, fun, talented, generous folk.  I’ve made most of my best friends through this business ... friends I’ve kept for a lot of years and over a lot of distance, friends who’ve kept me young (in the best possible way).

And remember when I said I’d done a lot of pay-the-rent gigs?  Well, I have plenty of bad situations to compare animation work to.  I KNOW how lucky I am when I can pay the bills by moving little puppet divas around.  I really do!

But it’s also important to not disregard animation out of sheer pragmatism.  Yes, it can be difficult to put a full year of income together.  Yes, it’s tough on personal relationships.  Yes, you can burn out if you don’t take care of yourself properly.  Yes, there are some real low-lifes running the show in a few of the studios and there are politics everywhere.  Yes, your family may still prod you about getting a “real” job.

Yes, all of those things and more.

But if you DO love it, none of those things will outweigh the benefits.  After you clear away all the reasons not to, I truly believe you’ll find a way to your own kind of success.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared to change horses mid-stream.  We learn new information every day.  What was a good decision for you ten years ago, last month, or two hours ago may not be the right decision now.  Keep in mind that there are lots of spheres and even more related industries.  If you’re not happy in your current niche you can find another ... or MAKE another.

And keep updating your resume – not just because you may need to hunt out another job (virtually all of my work has come through my network of friends and colleagues, anyway ... one reason to work on your ability to play well with others!) but because it’s good to see what you can do on paper.  It’s easy to forget how much you’ve learned but every project will help you develop new skills.  Write ‘em down.  You’re more valuable than you think.

To thine own self be true.

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For my January 2012 review of Lynn's Silhouette animation workshop at the Toronto Animated Image Society, please click the following link: Animated Thoughts: TAIS Silhouette Animation Workshop.

Women in Animation: 2012

For this year's Women in Animation posts, I'll be presenting the story of two animators: one at the beginning of her career and one at the middle of her career; one who is working within the industry and one who has taken lessons learned from industry and is applying them to her own independent animated films.

As you read about Angie Hauch and Lynn Dana Wilton, you'll see one animator looking at her future with cautious optimism and a cagey sense of realism about her profession, and the other animator as a veteran with a world of hard-won experience and wisdom. Many of the lessons that they will share are applicable to anyone who wants to pursue a career in animation, but it is my hope that girls will read their interviews and be encouraged that women can succeed in the 'boys club' that exists in the animation industry.

Men have a unique perspective that tends to dominate animated film due to the large number of men working in the industry (in my not so humble opinion). But women have their own unique perspective and voice that needs to be brought to the screen in order for the art form to mature and live up to its potential.

Everyone has a story that needs to be told. You can read Lynn's and Angie's at the following links:

• Angie Hauch
• Lynn Dana Wilton

Animated Thoughts: TAIS Silhouette Animation Workshop

As is my custom, I try to visit Toronto for a TAIS workshop early in the year. I find that doing so puts me in the right frame of mind to animate as I'm starting the year strong by learning a new animation technique or working with colleagues to produce a short film. This past January was no different when I had the opportunity to study silhouette animation from animator and TAIS member, Lynn Dana Wilton.

Lynn Dana Wilton and me

Lynn started off her workshop with a fascinating history of silhouette animation which then segwayed into her personal experiences working in this subset of animation. I'm purposefully going to be a little vague on her background as Lynn has graciously agreed to let me interview her for one of my March 2012 'Women in Animation' posts.

Flying fish puppet from Lynn's animation: '(Re)Cycle'

Very shortly though, she passed around examples of her puppets, explained her technique for creating jointed puppets that were useful for both stop-motion and silhouette animation, and then got us working on our own puppets.

Having studied cut-out animation in the past, I've only heard about people using small brads to secure the joints of their puppets or using thread with small pieces of tape. However, at this workshop, Lynn taught us how to use wire secured with glue. Personally, I found this technique to be much better that the thread or brad techniques even though set-up time was a little longer. While positioning the body parts may be a little easier using brads or thread, due to the joints moving a little more freely, I found the wire/glue method to be preferable since the puppet's limbs would hold in position far more securely that with the other methods. Part of my difficulty in cut-out animation comes with the usual bumping of the puppet while moving another element of the scene as well as the occasional exhaling of breath moving a limb, prop, or entire puppet. The wire and glue provides the puppet a little more weight and the wire provides the limbs more structural integrity. True, I couldn't move the limbs with the eraser of a pencil like I have with the brad or string puppets, however with a little practice, I could manipulate the wire/glue puppets with greater ease as the limbs wouldn't bump out of position when I moved another limb.

Octopus puppet from '(Re)Cycle'

Another issue I've found with animating cut-out figures is that the heads of the brads show through the paper puppet at each fastened joint and sometimes there isn't enough room on the back of the joint for the tape to secure to the paper puppet (when using the thread/tape method). This limits me to either working entirely in silhouette (in the case of brads) or using figures with thicker characteristics in order to get the tape to hold. Both cases are limiting. If you look at the picture of the flying fish, you immediately notice the detail on the figure, but additionally, the fins on this puppet can move! Lynn showed us other examples of the fish and bird puppets from her film (Re)Cycle and they all had the same characteristics: beautiful design and detail but also moving parts that added an element of dimensionality and motion without detracting from the design of the figure itself. Having watched (Re)Cycle several times now, I cannot recall any time where I am pulled out of the imaginary world Lynn created by a puppet that does not move as I expect it to or by showing a hyperextended joint at an inopportune moment. So while I'm not opposed to the brad or thread/tape methods of puppet design--especially if you're only going to do silhouette animation where the imagery is all in black and white, I find them a little limiting when compared to the much wider range of artistic styles that you could incorporate into your animation when using Lynn's glue/wire method of puppet construction.

Working on the puppet parade animation

When our puppets were finished, Lynn ushered us into the TAIS filming room where we created a 'parade of puppets' animation (which can be viewed below). It was while working on this little animation that I had the opportunity to examine some of the features built into the latest version of the 'Dragon Frame' stop-motion animation software. I've dabbled with earlier versions of the Dragon Frame software, but it was this weekend working with the latest version that put me solidly in their camp. I've been testing frame capture software for over a year since Adobe foolishly removed this feature from their CS4 Production Premium software. Though I may be an Adobe zealot, I like to think that I can put away my biases in favor of pragmatism should a better solution arise--as is the case with Dragon Frame 3.0. Recently, I've assembled a camera stand, ordered a Dragon Frame compatible webcam, and purchased a lightbox large enough to work on and still fit under the camera stand. As the elements of of my studio come together, I'm losing the excuses that keep me from spending more time working on my own animated films. Shortly, I'll run out of excuses completely and will apply all the lessons learned from these TAIS workshops towards making my own little films. When that day happens, I'll have a wide range of tools in my animator's toolbox to choose from!