A Richard Williams Tribute In Honor of his 75th Birthday
Friday, May 30, 7:30pm McBean Theater, Exploratorium, S.F. FREE!

The public knows Willams as the animation director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Animators also know him as the author of the great “how to” animation book, The Animator’s Survival Kit. In honor of his birthday and in anticipation of the release of Williams’ Animation Masterclass lecture series on DVD (shot before a live audience at Blue Sky Studios), ASIFA-SF will honor him with this unique tribute.

PROGRAM
His Oscar-winning short A Christmas Carol (1971)
I Drew Roger Rabbit (1988), a rare British documentary about Williams’ remarkable life
Lots of his great commercials made for TV in Great Britain, Europe, Canada and the US
Two clips from the feature Raggedy Ann and Andy, A Musical Adventure (1977)
Title sequences for Pink Panther features
Surprise footage (including an 8-minute promo for his soon-to-be-released DVD set at our July members’ party.)

Free admission, free parking, free fun for all!

This week, four people from all around North and South America will be able to claim their little piece of S.F. animation history. These students represent the first graduating Masters of Fine Arts in computer animation at The Art Institute of California - San Francisco. The CableCartoon toured their Market Street lab to view their works in progress and find out what brouught them to the Bay Area. Their personal stories, like their animated films, are varied and specific. They are all dedicated, passionate, and committed to animation as a means of self-expression, and as you might expect from post-graduates, a little more serious and thoughtful about their work.

Cristiano Seixas (top) left a successful career in graphic design and illustration to come to S.F. from Brazil. His comic take on the apocalypse Is That All There Is? plays like Waiting for Godot with cockroaches. Cristiano takes his education seriously: "There is more work in animation than ever, but we must be well trained to get the best, most creative assignments."

Jacqueline Adelmeyer comes to animation from an early interest in children’s book illustration in her native Wisconsin. Her short Midnight Snack evokes classic Hollywood funny animal gag cartoons but with atmospheric lighting and staging. "I love illustration,"  she says, "but animation is where I can make a career."

It’s clear that this is more than just a technical primer on how to use the latest software. The aesthetic rigor built into the program is impressive, with a good mix of traditional art training, critical thinking and story development along with tech talk. And it’s reflected in the films, which are visually, conceptually, and even philosophically compelling to varying degrees.

Todd Fleury left his graphic design job in Michigan to pursue brighter prospects in hard surface modeling—in sunny California. Todd is "…really interested in environments" and his short Intoxicated Inhibitions follows a pair of lonely barflies through their mating dance in a dark tavern.

Instructor Valerie Mih, (a 12-year animation veteran, with credits at Pixar, PBS and various independent efforts) had this to say about the class: "I’ve enjoyed seeing the students grow at an exponential rate over the course of the program.  Some of them are now doing work that they wouldn’t have dreamed of last year.  They have shown incredible commitment and artistry in their efforts!"

"I just love to animate!" says Maine emigre Aron Shay. Her film Peck Support takes a familiar conceit (dealing with computer problems over the phone) and gives it an unexpected twist—and lots of opportunities for funny character work.

You can see their films and other student work from the Art Institute in a variety of genres, including 2D animation, 3D animation, motion graphics, stop motion animation and mixed media on Friday, May 30, at 7pm at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco.

The CableCartoon puts the spotlight on students and independent animators all around Northern California; if you’ve got an upcoming event be sure to let us know so we can schedule a stop and post the information well in advance!

Northern California is already a hotbed of book clubs, so why not start a cartoon club? ASIFA-SF offers a regular schedule of big group events, often to view works from commercial studios, or from international artists. But what do you do if you’re just a local independent animator or student looking for a little regular feedback and support?
 
Julie Bayless is an ASIFA-SF member who lives in Hayward and was feeling a little cut off from the scene in San Francisco. So last December she put out the word that the East Bay Animators would be meeting monthly at her (and other folks’) homes. The idea is that members can alternate as host, and everyone brings something that they’ve worked on to show, old or new. Each attendee gets 15 minutes to present and get comments.
 
Members have shown storyboards, project pitches, rough cuts and sample reels—even simply floated new ideas. There’s no obligation to join except being an animator and wanting to hang out with your peers. Interested in getting to know some fellow animation buffs? The next meeting is at 7pm this Wednesday, May 28 in Albany and you can write us for more information.

Rory Root, famed legendary proprietor of Berkeley institution Comic Relief, passed away on Monday, following complications from surgery.

Remembrances of Rory are springing up all over the Internet, but http://www.comicsreporter.com and www.comicrelief.net are probably the best single sites for catching up on several at a time.

I was fortunate enough to moderate a discussion between Rory and Scott McCloud at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club back in August 2007.  How did I get to speak at such a prestigious, world-renowned institution, someplace that wouldn’t let me within ten feet of their front door otherwise?  Rory recommended me.  And how did Rory get on the panel?  He recommended himself.  I’m still impressed with that one…and I’m just glad that he decided to use those great powers of his for good, not evil.  

He was a great friend, and he will be missed. 

The CableCartoon took a detour thru La La Land last week, and got a sneak preview of a terrific show at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences that’s running until August 24. Yes, CGI can be great, but the Academy’s new exhibition “Ink & Paint” highlights the work of artists who have devoted decades of their lives to creating the characters, storyboards, color keys, backgrounds, layouts, cels and thousands of other process artworks that are needed to assemble a traditional animated film.

The exhibition showcases artwork mainly from the 1950s through the 1990s and features such animated classics as Alice In Wonderland, Gay Purr-ee, Charlotte’s Web, The Secret of NIMH, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as from Oscar®-winning shorts from Warner Bros., UPA, M-G-M, DePatie-Freling and the rest. Seeing a beautiful gouache background from Peter Pan or a pencil sketch from Bob Clampett’s Book Revue is an amazing experience not to be duplicated by squinting at your computer monitor.

There are concept paintings, character sheets, cel setups and more from artists including Álvaro Arce (The Prince and the Pauper), Kelly Asbury (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Mary Blair (Cinderella), Paul Carlson (Gay Purr-ee), Bob Clampett (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety), Ron Dias (The Secret of NIMH), Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty), Michael Giaimo (Pocahontas), Ann Guenther (Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too), Art Leonardi (Pink Panther), Abe Levitow (1001 Arabian Nights), Maurice Noble (What’s Opera, Doc?), Walt Peregoy (101 Dalmatians), Bob Singer and Iwao Takamoto (Charlotte’s Web), and Gloria Wood (Gay Purr-ee).

You’re not likely to see as extensive a public collection of genuine animation art like this any time soon—and it’s FREE! The Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery is at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in beautiful downtown Beverly Hills, open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from noon to 6 p.m.  Please note the Academy will be closed May 24-26 and July 4-6 in observance of Memorial Day and Independence Day.

 
Karl Benjamin, Black Pillars, 1957,
oil on canvas, private collection. ©Karl Benjamin,
courtesy Louis Stern Fine Arts, West Hollywood.

The Oakland Museum of CA has a new exhibit that should be pretty…um, rad. 

I think this show might warrant a few trips. Check out the museum for the full skinny.
From their release: 

Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury—opening May 17 at the Oakland Museum of California—looks at the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film, and music that launched mid-century modernism in the United States, and established Los Angeles as a major American cultural center. The exhibition continues through August 17, 2008.
Birth of the Cool was organized by Elizabeth Armstrong, Orange County Museum of Art chief curator and deputy director of public programs.
In keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of the project, Birth of the Cool features a jazz lounge; film, animation, and television clips throughout; an area with Van Keppel Green furniture and architectural pottery; a period art gallery of hard-edge abstract paintings; selections of art, architectural, and documentary photography; and an interactive timeline that highlights examples of California, national, and international culture and history in the 1950s.