Visuelt 08

This has been a day packed with inspiration! The yearly seminardays about visual communication "Visuelt" is going on these days (24. - 26. april) in Oslo, Norway.
I joined day number two, with the theme "My professional integrety". The day was about you as a person, and what are motivating and inspiring you.

It was a lot of great speakers:
Fred Deakin & Nat Hunter - Airside (UK)
Erik Kessels - KesselsKramer (NL)
StormStudio
Kjell Ekhorn - Non-Format (NO/UK)
Adam Burke - Pixar Animation Studios (US)

Overall it was very good. But my favorite speakers was, Erik Kessels and Adam Burke.
They really had passion for what they worked with, and showed a lot of really good stuff.
Erik talked a lot about of cool projects they have done for clients, and own products/labels they have created in house. He also pushed that it is very important to have a good idea.

Adam showed us a lot from Ratatouille, and talked about how Pixar work, and that you can't rush art.
I'm going to Frame by Frame tomorrow, he is going to speak there as well.

After a long they with great stuff, I got so inspired that I bought myself some new books.
Timing for Animation
Animation, The Mechanics of Motion
Animation, Writing and Development
Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery

So this weekend is hereby dedicated to reading :)

The Making of Burning Safari Short

Burning Safari from a group of talented French Students, has a really cool visual style. This is good inspiration!
Found this making of, check it out.

The Making of Burning Safari Short

The Disney Company on Ollie Johnston

Ollie Johnston, one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last living member passed away April 14th 2008.

Here you can read the official Walt Disney Studio press obituary, released to the media.

Some information about Ollie Johnston from Wikipedia:

Oliver Martin Johnston, Jr. (October 31, 1912 – April 14, 2008) was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last living member. His work was recognized with the National Medal of Arts in 2005.

He was a directing animator at Walt Disney Studios from 1935 to 1978. He contributed to many films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Bambi and Pinocchio. His last full work for Disney came with The Rescuers, in which he was caricatured as one of the film's characters, the cat Rufus.

Johnston co-authored, with Frank Thomas, the reference book The Illusion of Life. This book helped preserve the knowledge of the techniques that were developed at the studio. The partnership of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston is fondly presented in the documentary Frank and Ollie, produced by Thomas' son Theodore.

Boby Beck's Webinar - April 30th 7PM PDT

Meat AnimationMentor.com CEO and formar Pixar animator Bobby Beck & animator on Horton Hears a Who! Aja Bogdanoff April 30th 7PM PDT.

Hear Boby Beck share how he got started as an animator and the work he did on cool projects like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Bobby talks about how AnimationMentor.com really works, and he will interview one of the graduates of Animation Mentor, Aja Bogdanoff, about her recent experience working on Horton Hears a Who!

Click here to sign up for this super cool webinar

Frame by Frame #5 - Saturday 26.april

Its time for a new Frame by Frame gathering. This time on Filmens hus in Oslo, Norway.

The schedule of the day:
12.00-13.45
Welcome!
Visuelt screening
Latest news from Qvisten Animation

13.45-14.15
Break

14.15-15.45
Before You Animate - Adam Burke, Pixar

15.45-16.15
Break

16.15-18.00
Filmforbundet
A presentation of Animation Conversation
New, Norwegian animation

18.00-18.30
Break

18.30-19.30
Tomm Moore / Cartoon Saloon

19.30 >
Party & lottery

Price: kr 150,-
Location: Filmens hus, Dronningensgate 16, Oslo

Animation Mentor - Here I Come!!!

Moving to a new apartment!
Been long time since I posted something here. Been moving to my new apartment, so much packing and unpacking. Didn't knew we had so much stuff!

Animation Mentor
Finally got the answer from Animation Mentor, I'm in! So coooool. Can't wait. So since I don't have so much animation experience yet, I'm going to start practicing so I have some work under my fingers before I start there.

I got a seat in the Summer 2008 class. So this is going to be 18 super exciting months with hard work!

I have for a long time wanted to go there, but since Lånekassa (Norwegian financial support for education) didn't supported Animation Mentor, I had to save for it myself.

So after some hard saving, I'm finally there!

I'm going to keep you updated here on my blog.