Can't you tell that I've been going through some of my old stuff? These were in our storage space that we had to clean out before the Big Move. Man, talk about a Shrine To The 90's. Quite a trip back in time for us, going through all that junk.
4.23.2007
Painterly break
Thought that while I'm still working on the second part of how I got the job at LAIKA, I'll post pics of some paintings I did in college. Before you start to roll your eyes and groan, "Oh brother, he's starting to post college work..." I wanted to share these with you all because it was a key moment in my artistic career. Up until the time I took a Drawing & Painting class during my senior year, I never really had the chance to play around with paint and color. It was in this class where I started to see the many opportunities that afforded me when two (or more) colors started to work off each other. I was playing around, doing mostly studies based off of sketches I did in a figure drawing class a year before. All these paintings were acrylic on cardboard (I was in college, whuddya expect? I had no money for real canvas...) and are about 24 inches in height. Click on each to view larger.
Can't you tell that I've been going through some of my old stuff? These were in our storage space that we had to clean out before the Big Move. Man, talk about a Shrine To The 90's. Quite a trip back in time for us, going through all that junk.
Can't you tell that I've been going through some of my old stuff? These were in our storage space that we had to clean out before the Big Move. Man, talk about a Shrine To The 90's. Quite a trip back in time for us, going through all that junk.
4.11.2007
What if?
This is Part 1 of 3. Part 2. Part 3.
I wasn't looking for a new job. Really, I wasn't.
This thing just fell into my lap -- the job opening for an animator at LAIKA/house had been available for several weeks by the time it was mentioned to me by my pal Tom Knott, recruiter for LAIKA. I met Tom at the Ottawa International Animation Festival several years ago when he and I were at the Animator's Picnic -- he glanced at my festival pass and saw that I was there under the auspices of Drawn! An older guy with a white goatee, he surprised me by saying that he's a big big fan of that site and that he checks it every day. He and I hit it off right away as he told me his history of being the festival coordinator for the Ottawa Animation Festival back in the 80's and working as recruiter for Warner Bros. during THE IRON GIANT. He then told me he was currently working as head recruiter for the newly-named LAIKA, formerly Vinton Studios. They were getting ramped up to do some major hiring for CORALINE, a stop-motion feature based off of Neil Gaiman's off-beat story about a girl who discovers an "other world" inside an old house. It was to be directed by NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS director Henry Selick (pronounced "Selleck" as in "Tom Selleck", by the way), who was debuting his new cg-animated short film, MOONGIRL at Ottawa that year.
At any rate, I kept in touch with Tom throughout the year, just to say hi and see how things were going for him and LAIKA, and to see if he was going to Ottawa again this year (this was 2006). After several weeks, Tom finally replied (he was a busy man) and said yes, he's going to the festival this year and in fact, LAIKA/house will do a special presentation of their work and how they do it. And oh, by the way, there's an opening for an animator at House, if you're interested.
It didn't even phase me. My first thought was, hey, that's cool that Tom'll be there at Ottawa this year and my second thought was, hey, that's cool that LAIKA/house is doing a presentation -- I'll be sure to check it out when I go. And that was it. No immediate reply or follow up.
A day or two passed and I didn't mention anything to Andrea. I think my initial thought was that because the position was for an animator and not animation director, it didn't really pertain to me. Nothing wrong title-wise, as I wouldn't mind stepping back a bit from directing to help out fellow directors -- but salary-wise? It could've been less than what I was making at Primal and I didn't want to mess with my current income considering that I'm supporting a family. It's a delicate matter when it comes to salary and budgets for a single income family and this was no exception.
When I finally did mention the position open to Andrea, without a pause she said, "Are you going to pursue it?"
Really?
"Sure, why not? Maybe something will come of it....you never know."
She was right. Why not? Why not pursue it? It wouldn't hurt to try and find out, right? Plus, if I didn't do anything about it, I would probably drive myself crazy further down the road, always wondering, "What if?" "What IF?" So I called Tom that evening to see what was up. He gave me the low down about the job -- even though the position was for animator, they were looking for someone with directing experience because they would then have them move onto director status once more jobs came in, and that they were definitely expecting to be busy for the upcoming year. Tom also gave me a brief overview of the 2D department and if I was interested in the job then he'll let the head of the department, Jan Johnson, know right away because they were already narrowing their search down to about three potentials. He then suggested that since Ottawa was coming up in two weeks, why not bring my resumé and demo reel to the festival and he'll then pass it on to Jan. Great, I said, no problem.
Although there was a problem. Three, actually. I hadn't updated my demo reel in six years. Gulp! My resumé was worse off: it hadn't been updated in TEN years. Yikes! Also, to make matters worse, my boss at Primal told me that I had to get all the animation for the Cocoa Puffs spot done before I leave for the fest. Eep! Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me for the next two weeks.
Somehow, I did it. I don't know how, but I was able to construct a brand new demo reel from scratch by editing it in After Effects and then burning it using iDVD (I had my brother-in-law re-edit one of his songs to use for the montage), scrapped my old resumé and created an entirely new one -- all the while trying to finish up all the scenes that were left on the current Cocoa Puffs spot I was directing. It was a very trying two weeks for me and looking back on it, I really don't know how I was able to pull it all off. I do remember being very stressed out by the converging of so many things at once. But how was I able to do it? Even under so much stress?
The promise of possibility. I think that that was my driving force, my motivation. What if?
I wasn't looking for a new job. Really, I wasn't.
This thing just fell into my lap -- the job opening for an animator at LAIKA/house had been available for several weeks by the time it was mentioned to me by my pal Tom Knott, recruiter for LAIKA. I met Tom at the Ottawa International Animation Festival several years ago when he and I were at the Animator's Picnic -- he glanced at my festival pass and saw that I was there under the auspices of Drawn! An older guy with a white goatee, he surprised me by saying that he's a big big fan of that site and that he checks it every day. He and I hit it off right away as he told me his history of being the festival coordinator for the Ottawa Animation Festival back in the 80's and working as recruiter for Warner Bros. during THE IRON GIANT. He then told me he was currently working as head recruiter for the newly-named LAIKA, formerly Vinton Studios. They were getting ramped up to do some major hiring for CORALINE, a stop-motion feature based off of Neil Gaiman's off-beat story about a girl who discovers an "other world" inside an old house. It was to be directed by NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS director Henry Selick (pronounced "Selleck" as in "Tom Selleck", by the way), who was debuting his new cg-animated short film, MOONGIRL at Ottawa that year.
At any rate, I kept in touch with Tom throughout the year, just to say hi and see how things were going for him and LAIKA, and to see if he was going to Ottawa again this year (this was 2006). After several weeks, Tom finally replied (he was a busy man) and said yes, he's going to the festival this year and in fact, LAIKA/house will do a special presentation of their work and how they do it. And oh, by the way, there's an opening for an animator at House, if you're interested.
It didn't even phase me. My first thought was, hey, that's cool that Tom'll be there at Ottawa this year and my second thought was, hey, that's cool that LAIKA/house is doing a presentation -- I'll be sure to check it out when I go. And that was it. No immediate reply or follow up.
A day or two passed and I didn't mention anything to Andrea. I think my initial thought was that because the position was for an animator and not animation director, it didn't really pertain to me. Nothing wrong title-wise, as I wouldn't mind stepping back a bit from directing to help out fellow directors -- but salary-wise? It could've been less than what I was making at Primal and I didn't want to mess with my current income considering that I'm supporting a family. It's a delicate matter when it comes to salary and budgets for a single income family and this was no exception.
When I finally did mention the position open to Andrea, without a pause she said, "Are you going to pursue it?"
Really?
"Sure, why not? Maybe something will come of it....you never know."
She was right. Why not? Why not pursue it? It wouldn't hurt to try and find out, right? Plus, if I didn't do anything about it, I would probably drive myself crazy further down the road, always wondering, "What if?" "What IF?" So I called Tom that evening to see what was up. He gave me the low down about the job -- even though the position was for animator, they were looking for someone with directing experience because they would then have them move onto director status once more jobs came in, and that they were definitely expecting to be busy for the upcoming year. Tom also gave me a brief overview of the 2D department and if I was interested in the job then he'll let the head of the department, Jan Johnson, know right away because they were already narrowing their search down to about three potentials. He then suggested that since Ottawa was coming up in two weeks, why not bring my resumé and demo reel to the festival and he'll then pass it on to Jan. Great, I said, no problem.
Although there was a problem. Three, actually. I hadn't updated my demo reel in six years. Gulp! My resumé was worse off: it hadn't been updated in TEN years. Yikes! Also, to make matters worse, my boss at Primal told me that I had to get all the animation for the Cocoa Puffs spot done before I leave for the fest. Eep! Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me for the next two weeks.
Somehow, I did it. I don't know how, but I was able to construct a brand new demo reel from scratch by editing it in After Effects and then burning it using iDVD (I had my brother-in-law re-edit one of his songs to use for the montage), scrapped my old resumé and created an entirely new one -- all the while trying to finish up all the scenes that were left on the current Cocoa Puffs spot I was directing. It was a very trying two weeks for me and looking back on it, I really don't know how I was able to pull it all off. I do remember being very stressed out by the converging of so many things at once. But how was I able to do it? Even under so much stress?
The promise of possibility. I think that that was my driving force, my motivation. What if?
4.03.2007
What? Ho!
Hey, lookit that! A new post! And boy, is it ever so strange to look over at my profile and see my new location. Strange now, but old hat not too far down the road.
I'm back now, and we're up and running with internet at home finally, although still having some problems with the wireless router -- any help? I could use it. I have Netgear and haven't been able to get my computer to play nice with it....
Andrea's finally got some gorgeous photos uploaded on her Flickr from our trip, although it's just a few -- part of her excellent 365 project. Expect more between the two of us soon. Just give us a wee bit more time. Still living out of boxes, boxes, boxes. Oh, and more boxes.
Here's a shot by Andrea, somewhere in Idaho. Graff headz reprezentin' out West:
Portland has probably the best indie bookstore EVER: Powell's. Me likeies. Here's me with Ezra:
When we got closer to Portland, we skipped on over to check out beautiful Multnomah Falls. Andrea took this amazing photo of Ava:
Hello, cutie pie!
Okay, that's all for now. I'll get back to ya soon enough.
I'm back now, and we're up and running with internet at home finally, although still having some problems with the wireless router -- any help? I could use it. I have Netgear and haven't been able to get my computer to play nice with it....
Andrea's finally got some gorgeous photos uploaded on her Flickr from our trip, although it's just a few -- part of her excellent 365 project. Expect more between the two of us soon. Just give us a wee bit more time. Still living out of boxes, boxes, boxes. Oh, and more boxes.
Here's a shot by Andrea, somewhere in Idaho. Graff headz reprezentin' out West:
Portland has probably the best indie bookstore EVER: Powell's. Me likeies. Here's me with Ezra:
When we got closer to Portland, we skipped on over to check out beautiful Multnomah Falls. Andrea took this amazing photo of Ava:
Hello, cutie pie!
Okay, that's all for now. I'll get back to ya soon enough.
3.29.2007
Finally
I know it's been awhile since any of you have heard from me or andrea, but just to let you know, we made it safe and sound in our new town of Portland, OR, and are currently living out of boxes in our new home. We made it on Sunday, the 25th, but since we don't have internet set up yet (they're supposed to get us hooked up today), we haven't been able to do any updates. I'm at work now -- mad busy already, but will post more updates soon, complete with photos.
We did it! Can't believe we're here. Feels like a big dream....
We did it! Can't believe we're here. Feels like a big dream....
3.24.2007
Crossing the Divide
We crossed the imaginary line dividing the continent yesterday. The vistas were amazing, with nary a human being in sight. Wyoming was beautiful -- Utah even more so. Looking forward to seeing what's ahead for us today and tomorrow. We're expecting to arrive in Portland on Sunday.
3.22.2007
Meet me
...in St. Louie.
Well, actually, you'd be too late. We've already hit that town and are now rolling across the Great Plains.
3.19.2007
3.13.2007
it's all happening
I can't believe it. It's Tuesday and the movers come Thursday to pack our things, Friday to load it on a truck and then Sunday... we leave.
You know, I could probably wax eloquent here with all the swirling thoughts inside my brain on leaving my hometown, my family, my whole entire life as I know it -- but alas, I don't have the time. There's just so much to do on both the work and home fronts. I'm trying to finish up all the animation for this last spot (mentioned in a previous post), so in order to do so, I have to take home scenes to work on them -- but that then pushes aside the few precious moments that I had alloted especially for organizing and packing, therefore creating more drama.
I know that it'll all be over before I know it and I'll find myself in the middle of Wyoming wishing that I had the time to sit and think about my last days in Georgia in the right frame of mind. But I don't.
It hurts. It hurts to leave, but if nobody ever left anywhere, what good would that do? Where's the fun in that, right?
Just thinking.
You know, I could probably wax eloquent here with all the swirling thoughts inside my brain on leaving my hometown, my family, my whole entire life as I know it -- but alas, I don't have the time. There's just so much to do on both the work and home fronts. I'm trying to finish up all the animation for this last spot (mentioned in a previous post), so in order to do so, I have to take home scenes to work on them -- but that then pushes aside the few precious moments that I had alloted especially for organizing and packing, therefore creating more drama.
I know that it'll all be over before I know it and I'll find myself in the middle of Wyoming wishing that I had the time to sit and think about my last days in Georgia in the right frame of mind. But I don't.
It hurts. It hurts to leave, but if nobody ever left anywhere, what good would that do? Where's the fun in that, right?
Just thinking.
3.08.2007
More Sundancing
Well it's been a week since my last post and it feels so...wrong. I'm neglecting my duties here but I'm sure that you all understand. At the same time we're packing everything and moving to Portland, I've had to try and wrap up all the animation for this Trix Yogurt spot I'm currently directing. It's a sweet way to go out, man. Some great animation that I'm very proud of -- and all my peeps working on it are doing a fantastic job. Once it airs, I'll be able to disclose more. But in the meantime, thought I'd do some tooting of the Primal horn. Ever since I posted about the Sundance screenwash I worked on, there have been other mentions across the world wide internets about it. See for yourself:
First off, Primal put up an official press release of all our Sundance work for everyone to read and enjoy. You can finally get a chance to view Spark City in motion with a (pretty large) Quicktime clip available to download. It's about 2 minutes long so you're missing a good amount of the 6 minute long cycle, but at least you get a chance to see the little guy at the bottom of the screen wipe out near the end of the clip. Pretty funny.
There was a short interview with head designer Rick Newcomb soon after the film fest in Canada's National Post. He was the guy who headed up the project.
Studio Daily did an Interview with Primal music guy Steve Mank and if you scroll down there's mention of the Sundance work we did.
We got Brew'd, too! Amid Amidi mentioned us on the ever-popular Cartoon Brew. Sweet.
And lastly, Justin Cone did a nice write-up on his fantastic and brilliant site, Motionographer. Thanks, Justin!
3.01.2007
Ava Thursday: Hmm!
As you might've guessed, Ava Thursday has evolved from a weekly thing to a when-I-can-find-the-time thing. But I'm sure you all understand, right? I mean, you know that it's just a tad crazy for me right now.
Rarely will I ask Ava to draw something for me specifically for Ava Thursday. Most of what I post here has been something that she's done on her own, for school, or just for funsies. Last night I walked by Ava in her room and I feigned worry and concern, "Omigosh Ava! It's Ava Thursday tomorrow! What am I going to post?" She knew that I was joking around (we have tons of artwork that we've yet to scan of course) but she smiled at me and said "I'll draw sumfin!" I told her that there was no need to, but she wouldn't hear of it. Fifteen minutes later she came up to me with all smiles and handed me this drawing you see here. "Here ya go, Daddy!"
The story is that the Main Girl in the middle is having a party and that she just handed out the party invitations to all her friends in the picture, except the one who has a red face. Ava tells me that she's the Mean Girl and that she wasn't invited to the party. She's red because she's mad and jealous that she's not going and everyone else is. The Main Girl is giving Mean Girl a "Hmm!" ("Humph!") as in: "That's what you get for being so mean!" Notice that there's smoke coming from the Mean Girl's ears, too. Nice cartoonish touch. I really dig all the action going on in the background, especially the girls jumping rope on the right.
Parties and party invitations are high on Ava's list right now because she just gave some out for her Going Away/Early Birthday Party coming up a week from Saturday. Just some ice cream and fun times at a children's bookstore and ice cream parlor down the road from us. Ava's so excited she can hardly stand it. And she's very excited about moving out to Portland. She's looking at it like a Big Adventure. Andrea and I are trying to do the same, but it's hard when you have boxes covering every single square foot of your home right now and it seems like nothing has changed for the past several weeks.
2.28.2007
Portland
Back in late January, the company sent the wifey and I out to Portland to check out the city, the neighborhoods, the studio, the whole she-bang. It was a great trip, one filled with trepidation, opportunity, and great potential. It felt so wrong to be in a city so far away from Atlanta and especially since we weren't supposed to be there, but dangit -- we weren't going to let that spoil it for us. And we had a blast. Our good friends Craig and Amy showed us around the neighborhoods, giving us a chance to take it all in and to give us some clues as to what to expect for various schools, etc. We considered ourselves very lucky to have them as hosts.
Anyway, we took photos while we were there. Andrea put the best of them in a nice Flickr photoset which can be viewed HERE. It's a gorgeous town. I've heard nothing but good things about the city. We're looking forward to becoming Portland residents soon.
You know I just had to check out the local antique/junk stores, right? And for the record, I did buy that book I'm thumbing through.
2.26.2007
Whee!
This is how my life feels right now: full-on crazy, head spinning, multi-tasking frenetic energy and all on wheels. At least it feels like it's on wheels. Just switch out this domestic goddess's ear-to-ear smile with a look of fear and then you'll get a perfect example of how I feel right now. See, on top of all the sorting, filing, organizing, packing, moving, searching for a new home thousands of miles away, etc., we've had to find and buy a new car before the Big Move because our current one might loose its engine block halfway across the country, and.... I had to have a molar extracted today making me feel oh-so wonderful right this very minute. Gotta love perfect timing.
In the meantime, here's some neato scans of ads and illustrations found in that December 1954 issue of Better Homes & Gardens I posted about earlier. I've got priorities, people.
Nice illustration above. Yay for Daddies bringing home the....uh, oranges?
Nice, simple clean lines here. Nice nice nice. Love the characters, too. Best viewed larger.
Classic housewife loving her appliance with a freakish-like glee. View larger, if you dare.
The following spot illustrations were for an article on winter driving. The artist signed it: "Pearson." They are very well executed with some nice stylization for the clouds and use of the blue spot color here and there. Definitely view them larger if you get the chance. Great stuff:
View larger.
View larger.
View larger.
Okay! Whee! There ya go! Excuse me while I dive back into my enormous pile of old notebooks, saved magazine clippings, and forgotten sketches.
2.18.2007
The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora
Now that all the heavy news about us moving to Portland is out of the way, I want to get back to what I enjoy about this blog: posting about art and animation. I posted a review of the new Jim Flora book on Drawn! and thought I'd share it with you all here. Please buy the book. It's worth it. Here's the review:
I've been rendered completely numb for the past couple of days because Fantagraphics sent me a copy of The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora, a book that I've been pining for a long time. I did a brief blurb about it last March, and since then I've dedicated a few more posts about Flora both on Drawn! (here and here) as well as on my own blog. Obviously I'm biased about his work, but I don't care -- I know that there are many artists, illustrators and animators who have been heavily influenced by Jim Flora. He was a master of contorted shapes, colors, and figures, all done with a mid-century deconstructive rebel mindset; an iconoclast in every sense of the word, never bowing to the usual editory convictions. I thought that one book on the master would be enough for anyone -- even for diehard fans. But, no. After going through page after page of beautiful long-lost Flora art and reading the breezy and insightful words of Chusid, Curiously Sinister is a must-have for anyone who loves wildly imaginative imagery and unbridled character design.
Often there are wary expectations for anything labeled as a "second collection" because the assessment is that the material contained within is probably, well, secondary or sub-par. A chance to cash-in on the notoriety of Flora's name, right? Not so here. Chusid writes in the introduction of Curiously Sinister that the contents of this book was material that they didn't know existed while compiling the first book. After discovering a storage unit filled top to bottom with oddities and unseen work throughout Flora's career (1930's - '90's), Irwin and co-author Barbara Economon both knew what they had to do: archive all of it immediately and get as much of it out there for the world to see.
And we all should thank them profusely for their efforts. While Jim Flora may be best known for his unique jazz album covers in the 40's and 50's, as well as for his amusing children's books from the 50's into the 70's, what Curiously Sinister does is sidestep the usual Flora fare with artwork that the artist did on the side, on his own time. It's fascinating because after thumbing through page after page of Flora's more personal works was like witnessing a mad scientist concocting incredible creations deep in his basement, no holds barred. Flora's professional work was already a mind-altering head trip, but man -- after just a few pages into this book you'll see that that was just the tip of the illustrative iceberg. And by publishing a second book of Flora artwork, Chusid and Economon offer us the full scope of who James Flora really was, discombobulated figures and all. It's a rare glimpse into the mind of Flora -- a mind that never seemed to concern itself with limitations, constrictions or constraints. Flora offered us more than just "jazz art" -- he gave us limitless possibilities when it comes to our own art.
Other links:
It should be noted that Irwin and Barbara have started up a Jim Flora blog, with some excellent insider notes on various works by the artist.
Support the family: buy original art and prints at the newly redesigned Jim Flora Art (with a nice jazz soundbyte to set the mood); buy t-shirts and other items at the official Jim Flora eBay store. I've got a "Jivin' Teens" t-shirt. Checkit, it's lovely:
Finally, the official Jim Flora site has also been recently redesigned and it looks mighty swanky. Be sure to check out the special gallery section on woodcuts, where they take a recently discovered Flora woodcut block (dated 1946) and bring it back to life.
I've been rendered completely numb for the past couple of days because Fantagraphics sent me a copy of The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora, a book that I've been pining for a long time. I did a brief blurb about it last March, and since then I've dedicated a few more posts about Flora both on Drawn! (here and here) as well as on my own blog. Obviously I'm biased about his work, but I don't care -- I know that there are many artists, illustrators and animators who have been heavily influenced by Jim Flora. He was a master of contorted shapes, colors, and figures, all done with a mid-century deconstructive rebel mindset; an iconoclast in every sense of the word, never bowing to the usual editory convictions. I thought that one book on the master would be enough for anyone -- even for diehard fans. But, no. After going through page after page of beautiful long-lost Flora art and reading the breezy and insightful words of Chusid, Curiously Sinister is a must-have for anyone who loves wildly imaginative imagery and unbridled character design. Often there are wary expectations for anything labeled as a "second collection" because the assessment is that the material contained within is probably, well, secondary or sub-par. A chance to cash-in on the notoriety of Flora's name, right? Not so here. Chusid writes in the introduction of Curiously Sinister that the contents of this book was material that they didn't know existed while compiling the first book. After discovering a storage unit filled top to bottom with oddities and unseen work throughout Flora's career (1930's - '90's), Irwin and co-author Barbara Economon both knew what they had to do: archive all of it immediately and get as much of it out there for the world to see.
And we all should thank them profusely for their efforts. While Jim Flora may be best known for his unique jazz album covers in the 40's and 50's, as well as for his amusing children's books from the 50's into the 70's, what Curiously Sinister does is sidestep the usual Flora fare with artwork that the artist did on the side, on his own time. It's fascinating because after thumbing through page after page of Flora's more personal works was like witnessing a mad scientist concocting incredible creations deep in his basement, no holds barred. Flora's professional work was already a mind-altering head trip, but man -- after just a few pages into this book you'll see that that was just the tip of the illustrative iceberg. And by publishing a second book of Flora artwork, Chusid and Economon offer us the full scope of who James Flora really was, discombobulated figures and all. It's a rare glimpse into the mind of Flora -- a mind that never seemed to concern itself with limitations, constrictions or constraints. Flora offered us more than just "jazz art" -- he gave us limitless possibilities when it comes to our own art.
Other links:
It should be noted that Irwin and Barbara have started up a Jim Flora blog, with some excellent insider notes on various works by the artist.
Support the family: buy original art and prints at the newly redesigned Jim Flora Art (with a nice jazz soundbyte to set the mood); buy t-shirts and other items at the official Jim Flora eBay store. I've got a "Jivin' Teens" t-shirt. Checkit, it's lovely:
Finally, the official Jim Flora site has also been recently redesigned and it looks mighty swanky. Be sure to check out the special gallery section on woodcuts, where they take a recently discovered Flora woodcut block (dated 1946) and bring it back to life.
2.13.2007
Northwestward, ho!
Wow -- where do I begin? It's weird to think that I'm finally writing about this. I've been wanting to say something for weeks now, but couldn't until all the fine details were worked out. Now it's official...
I've decided to accept a job at Laika for the position of 2D Animation Director. It will be for Laika/House -- the commerical division. (Laika/Entertainment is the feature film division.) Laika, as some of you may already know, is based out of Portland, Oregon. That's over 2,600 miles away from Atlanta, Georgia. Quite a move for me and my family. But after many months of thinking and praying about it (and many more weeks spent in deep discussion with Andrea), we decided that this would be the best thing for our family. It's going to be a major change -- I've lived in Atlanta almost my entire life and the majority of my family calls it home, including my parents. I've only known the Atlanta animation industry for my entire animation career. Working with individuals so far removed from the insular network of this Southern city will be quite a shock, but I'm ready and willing to face the change. Looking forward to it, actually.
Naturally, I will miss my immediate family, my fellow Primates, and all my animator and artist buddies here in Atlanta. My last day at Primal Screen will be March 16th, so Andrea and I are currently knee-deep in moving and packing plans. We definitely have our work cut out for us before we tackle the Big Move. And for kicks and giggles, we're planning on driving across the country the following week. I know -- crazy isn't it? Maybe we'll be in your neck of the woods, you never know.
This is such a huge step for my career and creatively? Extremely impressed with the amount of talent I saw housed within Laika's walls. Such an honor to become the newest member of Laika's creative family.
So, there you go -- I'm leaving Primal. (Boy, so odd to actually type that.) I can't complain, though-- The past six years have been very good to me. Many Primal jobs have showcased my personal style and how many people can lay claim to that? A spot is now available, of course, so Primal Screen is starting their search to fill that spot. If you are an experienced animation director with a strong sense of design, contact Jeff at: jeff [at] primalscreen [dot] com. If you have a website or blog featuring your work, please include links. Jeff will thank you.
If you're ever in Portland after March of this year, would love to say hello. Please contact me here via my blog and let's do lunch. Also, I'd like to add that the Platform International Animation Festival will take place in Portland, June 25-30. A great excuse to come up (or down or over) to see me.
I've decided to accept a job at Laika for the position of 2D Animation Director. It will be for Laika/House -- the commerical division. (Laika/Entertainment is the feature film division.) Laika, as some of you may already know, is based out of Portland, Oregon. That's over 2,600 miles away from Atlanta, Georgia. Quite a move for me and my family. But after many months of thinking and praying about it (and many more weeks spent in deep discussion with Andrea), we decided that this would be the best thing for our family. It's going to be a major change -- I've lived in Atlanta almost my entire life and the majority of my family calls it home, including my parents. I've only known the Atlanta animation industry for my entire animation career. Working with individuals so far removed from the insular network of this Southern city will be quite a shock, but I'm ready and willing to face the change. Looking forward to it, actually.
Naturally, I will miss my immediate family, my fellow Primates, and all my animator and artist buddies here in Atlanta. My last day at Primal Screen will be March 16th, so Andrea and I are currently knee-deep in moving and packing plans. We definitely have our work cut out for us before we tackle the Big Move. And for kicks and giggles, we're planning on driving across the country the following week. I know -- crazy isn't it? Maybe we'll be in your neck of the woods, you never know.
This is such a huge step for my career and creatively? Extremely impressed with the amount of talent I saw housed within Laika's walls. Such an honor to become the newest member of Laika's creative family.
So, there you go -- I'm leaving Primal. (Boy, so odd to actually type that.) I can't complain, though-- The past six years have been very good to me. Many Primal jobs have showcased my personal style and how many people can lay claim to that? A spot is now available, of course, so Primal Screen is starting their search to fill that spot. If you are an experienced animation director with a strong sense of design, contact Jeff at: jeff [at] primalscreen [dot] com. If you have a website or blog featuring your work, please include links. Jeff will thank you.
If you're ever in Portland after March of this year, would love to say hello. Please contact me here via my blog and let's do lunch. Also, I'd like to add that the Platform International Animation Festival will take place in Portland, June 25-30. A great excuse to come up (or down or over) to see me.
2.08.2007
Ava Thursday: Colors that Rhyme
If you like colors that rhyme and bubbles that pop, be sure to check out Ava Thursday over at hula seventy this week. Lovely stuff.
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