Character Sheet: Sabrina Cecchini

 Sabrina Cecchini grew up overseas until she was 13 and then her family moved to New York City. After college she moved to California and has lived here for the last 5 years. She attended the Academy of Art University where she developed her thesis film.

We had the pleasure of meeting Sabrina back at our Student and Independent Screening where she screened her film. “How to Avoid The Slaughterhouse” is a three and a half minute film about a young farmyard pig who tries to avoid going to the slaughterhouse by learning to become a dog. In the story, the pig mail orders a video tape that takes him through five instructional steps leading to his new canine persona. 

Thursday thru Saturday at the Red Vic

This year’s traveling collection of two dozen shorts from around the world (curated by Mike Judge) makes a return engagement to San Francisco. Consider it a warm-up to the the main event of the season, next week’s San Francisco Animation Film Festival. For full details, visit the movie house website.

ASIFA-SF’s President Extends His Gratitude

On November 2, the Balboa Theatre attracted nearly 500 people to a most unlikely-sounding event, a presentation on the principles of animation. The audience took advantage of a rare chance to see the legendary British director Richard Williams (pictured above, center, with my wife Denise and yours truly). Richard has won 3 Oscars (including two for directing the animation in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?). He is also the author of the definitive guide to character animation, The Animator’s Survival Kit. He is presently marketing a 16-disc DVD set developed from master classes that he has presented to animation pros for many years.

Williams was originally scheduled to present a single program, which sold out in less than a week’s time after its announcement. A noon show was quickly added and also nearly sold out. Both programs included personal recollections from Richard’s 50-year career and touched on the subtle nuances that can make a good animator a great one. He also answered lots of questions from the audience.

Writer Tony Reveaux told me, "He presented the principles in a lucid and clear way."  Michael Bunker recalled, "What a warm, friendly man! He was just amazing. After all he’s done and everyone he’s worked with and met, he’s still completely approachable and I really felt like I could ask him anything. The world needs more people like him, both in their incomparable skill and library of knowledge, and in their eagerness to teach what they know and help aspiring students."

Part of the excitement was Williams meeting the audience in the lobby after each show to talk, sign copies of his book (or anything else that people brought to the theatre) and to pose for photographs. My wife saw one young woman dancing for joy in the lobby after getting an autograph.

The programs were presented as a benefit for ASIFA-San Francisco, a chapter of the international animation association. We hold monthly events that included screenings, lectures and networking parties. We also published an informative 10 page monthly newsletter. For more information visit www.asifa-sf.org. For information about The Animator’s Survival Kit: Animated, visit www.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com And to learn more about the great SF repertory theatre, visit the Balboa’s website.

Thanks to the Balboa’s Gary Meyer for presenting this wonderful celebration of animation as a great art form at your theatre, and of course, thanks to Richard Williams for his continuing inspiration and mentoring of us all.

Karl Cohen, chapter president