andymation87.com Blog

Columbus Day

2009-10-10T06:19:14Z

Okay, I get that it’s great recognition for him and all, but seriously? I get an extended weekend for this day? I’ve never had Columbus day off before! Now I’m not complaining, just really REALLY weirded out! Came home for my sisters 24th birthday. Last one she’s gonna have in the state before JOINING THE PEACE CORPS and I don’t see her for two years! Meanwhile, I’ve been at my first FULL TIME! job for a little less than a month. It’s goin fairly well. Lots and lots of coloring!

Congrat’s Phil and Meg

2009-08-10T04:08:51Z

Being the idiot that I am on occasion…
K, I take that back… not an idiot,
but I forgot the CAMERA!!! NOOOOO!

My friends just got married Saturday and the wedding was wonderful and I had to share that fact with the world. I’d share pictures, but like I said, I forgot the camera.

Michael Sporn and his promoting himself

2009-08-05T04:43:36Z

So I was catching up on some blog rolling since I just got back into town from my job away from reality. When I hit Michael Sporn’s Blog post about promoting himself from the other day, well of course I was excited! I mean, who doesn’t love Michael Sporn? The man does some very brilliant work.
Now wen I hit the line that “Scholastic/Weston Woods charges the outrageous price of $59.95 for a dvd of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers,” I was shocked that Mike would say that any price was outrageous for his work! Don’t sell yourself short man! That animation is gorgeous!
But for anybody that doesn’t own it already, get the box set of his films. They’re brilliant and beautiful and wonderful and every other good thing you can possibly say about animation from anybody! Amazon Marketplace sells it at an extremely affordable price, and I highly HIGHLY recommend buying them!

Animation Work!

2009-06-04T19:44:36Z

So I finally got some work goin my way this summer. Yes, it’s only for a month, but hey, it’ll be an awesome month! I get to work the summer study program at Penn State during July, working the enrichment programs with High School Students on character animation and game design. How awesome is that? I’m just about stoked, and I’ll keep ya’ll posted as it goes along!

Richard Williams Spline Cast

2009-04-21T05:04:11Z

Well, I felt like catching up on some animation topics reading, and actually read some blogs again on animation. The Spline Doctors posted a nice interview with the impeccable Richard Williams. I saw a good interview between him and the amazing John Canemaker when I was at OIAF 2008, but they covered a good chunk of that in this interview, so now we can listen to it over and over. WOOHOO!

Richard Williams Spline Cast

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Job Search

2009-01-08T22:11:24Z

So, after graduation, I went home for the glories of the holidays. Golly were they long holidays. But they were fun long holidays! YAY CHRISTMAS!
Anyway, now I’m back in Pittsburgh and doing nothing more than sending out job applications, and working the job to pay the rent, and trying to get some of my short done and I’m up and interning again next Tuesday. Sheesh, I thought life would be a little bit easier, no?

Elections

2008-10-17T03:47:15Z

So, the last debate was last night, as we all know.
I gotta say, they were kicking each others butt’s last night.
Finally. Haven’t seen a decent debate for a long time.
Oh, and my personal favorite part,
what was with each of them laughing at one another any time one spoke? Seriously guys?
Anyway, glad the debates are over, and I’m glad I got to catch this one, cos I haven’t been able to pay much attention to what’s been going on with them.

Now tonight, that’s another story.
the Daily Show made a little joke about the undecided voters and how they’re the big part the candidates got to fight over.
I can’t say i disagree with the cast when they say it’s ridiculous these guys can’t make a decision. We’ve only had TWENTY MONTHS to listen to these guys and you STILL don’t know who you do or don’t like. Look. If you can’t decide by now, you’re better off NOT VOTING. And that’ s by far the most ridiculous of ridiculous things to suggest, cos everybody knows that VOTING is a HUGE deal. But really, it shouldn’t be a coin toss thing, which seems to be something that a LOT of people do when they can’t decide between the two.

ah well.
VOTE!

Ottawa

2008-09-26T04:59:33Z

So, last week I went to the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
I gotta say, it ROCKED!
I met all sorts of super awesome people!
I caught Michael Sporn and got him to sign my copy of The Hunting of the Snark,

right after that, who did I see in front of me but David Levy, and got him to autograph my copy of Your Career in Animation.

Then the next day I caught Amid Amidi and made him sign my copy of his book, Cartoon Modern.

And oh boy. I got Richard Williams to sign my copy of The Animator’s survival Kit, AND Who Framed Roger Rabbit?!
Luckily, John Canemaker was interviewing Richard Williams at the presentation of The Animator’s Survival Kit DVD Set, so I was able to snag him up to sign my copy of The Art and Flair of Mary Blair.

If for some reason you don’t know about these books, and DVD’s, LOOK THEM UP BECAUSE THEY’RE PHENOMINAL!
I tip my hat off to Chris Robinson and the Festival Crew because this year was absolutely amazing! Best festival I’ve been to yet!
I was able to actually go up and talk to people for once in my life. Actually started a few conversations, like the one with Mark Thorton, the Director of Total Drama Island!

Probably one of the most exciting parts of the Animator’s Picnic!
There was a wonderful workshop on portfolio’s and interviews. Not that the ones I’ve ever seen before were inadequate, but they did mention quite a few things that I wasn’t aware of! And I finally saw the completed version of Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues which truely is the greatest break up story ever!

Eric Goldberg’s book Character Animation Crash Course is finally out, and he gave a very cool presentation on the material in it during the festival.

And Michael Sporn had a retrospective that included the brilliant The Marzipan Pig and The Man Who Walked Between the Towers! Although I didn’t catch all of the short competitions, the ones I did catch were brilliant in every way shape or form.
I could go on for line after line and page after page about the festival, but nobody would have the time to read everything that I’d like to put up about it. All I know is that it was by far the best animation festival I’ve ever been too and I bid everybody good luck at topping that off!

P.S.
Mr. Amidi,
I understand the situation about the Animation Makes Me Laugh panel discussion, but it still rocked!