This is big news for animation. Up has been nominated for Best Picture category. This marks the second time in the history of animation. Beauty and the Beast was nominated in 1991. While Snow White won a special Oscar it was never nominated. A few years back a new category was created specifically for animated features. This was considered a double edge sword. On one side animation features were getting recognition. On the other people wondered if animation would ever now be considered to compete in the best picture category. It was believed that it could alter voters perception that animation is even a best picture contender. So it seems that the voters do indeed accept animation as a best picture. However it is "up" against some stiff competition and probably is the long shot to win over it's live action counter parts. Would be cool to see it win!
Class 6 has started. My Mentor for this course is Mike Stern. He Currently works at Dreamworks. He adds a new element from any other mentor I have had so far. He has actually gone through the AM course. He was one of the first students to graduate some years back. He really knows his animation and shows experience as a mentor. On the flip side he understands what it is like being on the other side as a student and offers insightful information. He did an awesome animated short called Distraxion. Very funny and of course amazing animation. I am looking forward to picking his brain on creating it. We have been lucky enough already where he showed us some early animation from it.
This class will be interesting to blog about as it is a bit different from past classes. Being that this is the Polishing and Portfolio class there will be no new work to document. The class consists of polishing the best of any assignments that will make a well balanced demo reel. Adding polish to a shot is usually very minor tweaks. So much so in many cases the average viewer can not tell you what is different. If done right they will just know which one "feels" better. So I am not entirely sure how I will document the assignments. At the moment I think I will just show the before and after polish videos. As of right now I am looking to have 4 or 5 clips to polish for my reel. One clip is still waiting review from my mentor.
First off, a little late but Happy New Years! I started my sixth and final class in Animation Mentor a couple weeks back. Exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting to know how much I have accomplished in the last year. Scary cause it is almost over and in many ways I feel I still have so much to learn. I am not saying that Animation Mentor has not done their job of education, they definitely have! As my skills develop and grow so do my expectations of where I want to be. If I was able to take a modified DeLorean over 88 and show my reel to the old me a year ago I would have been ecstatic. However I have grown enough as an animator to look back at my work with a critical eye and know there is much needed work. So I will have my work cut out for me in the next several weeks.
On another note it is the last day for me to get my vote in for the Annie Awards. I have already started the voting process. I am saving the biggest category for last. The features category. This really has been a great year for feature films. Which makes for a harder time voting. For the most part I have my decision made. I am going to watch one the films again tonight as a refresher before I cast my final vote.
What an amazing event. My wife and I showed up on Saturday just around noon. A bit later than we had planned but L.A. Traffic is always unpredictable. We met up with Owen whom I had met online via DonBluthanimation.com. He is very cool and I was very happy to finally meet him in person. Luckily for us he arrived earlier and had already scoped the floor. My first order of business was to try and meet Mr. Bluth in person and he knew exactly where to go. After walking in and getting our badges I was surprised at how small it was. That was my own pre conceived notion after attending a place like the comic-con. However, the small size is ultimately what made it amazing. It was very intimate.
Getting advice from Director/Animator/Mentor Don Bluth
We made our way around the small room to Mr. Bluth's Panel. I have chatted online with Mr. Bluth via his Don's Club Q&A session but the first time meeting him in person. Owen introduced me to him. I shook Mr. Bluth's hand and exchanged hellos. He then paused and looked at me and said in a joking manner"With a name like Zane I thought you were going to be taller". The Ice was broken and we talked for a bit about his Club and a preview of what to expect. After some pictures it was time to let others have their chance. Off to explore more of the floor. What I found very refreshing was how nice most everybody was. Everybody was very easy to talk to no matter a vendor or fellow patron.
Don Bluth and Myself
Me and Owen Welsh
Another Highlight was getting to meet Animator Andreas DeJa (below). He did such memorable characters for Disney such as Jafar, Scar, Lilo and most recently Mama Odie for the Princess and the Frog. He was doing a signing for a sketchbook he was selling. He was very cool. Asked if I wanted a sketch of any character. I told him Scar would be awesome. With in no time at all he had scar sketched out.
Me and Andreas Deja
After lunch it was pretty much time to get in line if we wanted to see the Bluth/Goldman panel. Time flew by waiting in line as Owen and I sat chatting about animation. Next thing we knew we were being let it. We were near the front of the line but still a good 20 people back. So I was surprised when I saw the first row was wide open. I guess some people were too afraid to be that close. So we took advantage if it. It was a great inspiring panel. He discussed his early days at Disney and why he left. Also his journey that led him to where he is now. The first 15 minutes of the panel can be viewed Here. After the panel was over there was to be a Q&A right outside the room. Amazingly enough it was a very small group of about 6. Don was very cool with his time and chatted with us for probably close to a half hour. After Don Left I saw Mr. Goldman was still there. He left Disney with Bluth and has been his right hand man since. I listened to a few of his great stories and shook his hand before he headed out.
Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Panel Hosted by Jerry Beck
Later that evening there was a midnight screening of Don Hahn's "Waking Sleeping Beauty". It is a Documentary of behind the scenes at Disney from 1984 to 1994. Don Hahn was on hand to introduce the film as well some Q&A when it was over. I really liked the film. Very insightful to what was happening on a corporate level during those 10 years. I definitely recommend seeing it when it officially comes out in 2010.
Waking Sleeping Beauty Trailer
After the film and Q&A I chatted for a few minutes with fellow Animation mentor Students. It was great to finally meet a few in person and some for the first time! I then looked at my watch and saw it was the wee hours of the morning and I was crashing. I headed back the the hotel room and called it a day. What a day it was at that.
Must be screener season! This year the studios have been kind to ASIFA members. Below is some of the shwag sent to me.
However this year is going to be a tough choice. The Nominations have been announced. A lot of good movies this year. Below are a few of the major categories announced. I still have to see The Princess and the Frog and The Secret of Kells. I do have my tickets already for The Princess and the Frog next Tuesday!
Best Animated Feature
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs — Sony Pictures Animation
Coraline — Laika
Fantastic Mr. Fox — 20th Century Fox
The Princess and the Frog — Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Secret of Kells — Cartoon Saloon
Up — Pixar Animation Studios
Best Animated Short Subject
Pups of Liberty — Picnic Pictures
Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5 — ShadowMachine
Santa, The Fascist Years — Plymptoons
The Rooster, The Crocodile and The Night Sky — Barley Films
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 11:31AM 
This is big news for animation. Up has been nominated for Best Picture category. This marks the second time in the history of animation. Beauty and the Beast was nominated in 1991. While Snow White won a special Oscar it was never nominated. A few years back a new category was created specifically for animated features. This was considered a double edge sword. On one side animation features were getting recognition. On the other people wondered if animation would ever now be considered to compete in the best picture category. It was believed that it could alter voters perception that animation is even a best picture contender. So it seems that the voters do indeed accept animation as a best picture. However it is "up" against some stiff competition and probably is the long shot to win over it's live action counter parts. Would be cool to see it win!
