David Lynch Interview Project-Update

I wrote about this project some time ago, but sadly it wasn't running very well, technically.

I'm happy to say that's been taken care of, and the project is well underway, with lots of interviews gathered.

The short interviews play very cleanly, and the image and sound quality is great. I just wish the title cards and credits would move along at a faster clip. The enjoyable part of this project is being able to take in lots of people's lives, quickly, and it lags a bit with slow editing (at times).

That being said, it's a wonderful and life-affirming thing.

It connects humanity, and appeals to the basic interest we all have in other human lives. A very simple concept, elegantly achieved.

Go watch 'em all!

1st Yr Animation Students

As part of my work at Sheridan, I teach the first year students. I cover Animation History, and I lecture for them on Story and Layout. It's a foundational year, in terms of animation skills and in terms of helping them form a mind-set for a life in this business. There's a lot of promise in this crew, no doubt about it.

So here they are- the future of animation (graduating in Spring, 2013).

Aren't they shiny and bright?!

Don Sahlin

Here's the link to a very informative piece on Don Sahlin, an American puppet maker and stop motion animator. Thanks to Mark Mayerson for the link (and Michael Sporn for continually posting such fascinating and diverse stuff).

Star Wars The Phantom Menace Review

I saw this film in the theatre, it broke my heart, and I never thought about it again, at least not seriously.

But here's a now famous, in-depth consideration of this film, that uncovers the specifics of why this movie is so wrong, and so terrible.

I commend the guy for having the guts to watch it repeatedly.

The review is broken into several sections, some of which veer off into "humour" that won't be to everyone's taste (including mine), but it's worth it to get the scoop.

And overall, there's a heap of very funny stuff mixed in with the serious consideration of the film.

Kaj Pindal Blog

I'm very proud to announce the launch of the official Kaj Pindal blog.

Kaj is a legend in animation. His contributions to Canadian animation in particular is astounding, and his further efforts in the Animation Program at Sheridan has spanned the decades.

Oh, and he won a little thing called an Emmy for his animated TV program Peep And The Big Wide World (pictured above).

I'm lucky enough to have developed a great relationship with Kaj, as we co-teach the Animation History class to 1st year students at Sheridan. I've learned so much through Kaj, and he continues to personally inspire me with his animation experiences, AND with his devilish humour.

In his eighth decade now, Kaj doesn't show much sign of slowing down. And now, he even has his own blog!

The blog is maintained by Amir Avni, a very talented 4th year student at Sheridan. Amir is also a passionate animation historian, and jumped at the chance to work with Kaj on this project.

In the background is me- I'm co-editing the blog with Amir, which basically just means I polish things a bit...

And of course, Kaj is providing a lifetime of experiences and collected artwork from his years as an animator.

We hope the blog becomes a wonderful resource for everyone who loves animation, and in particular, lovers of NFB animation... and Kaj!