Animation Magazine April #309 2021 Issue by Animation Magazine, Inc.

next page T H E

B U S I N E S S ,

T E C H N O L O G Y

A R T

O F

A N I M AT I O N

TOC

A N D

April 2021

V F X

™

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS ®

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW WINNER

NAACP IMAGE AWARDS

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE•BEST SCREENPLAY

BEST SCORE

N O M I N AT I O N S I N C L U D I N G

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

WINNER

TOP TEN FILM

®HFPA

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE • BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

N O M I N AT I O N

“‘Soul’ is a modern movie miracle. This ambitiously imaginative burst of life finds the spark of spirituality in American cinema – and delivers it to audiences of all ages in equal parts entertainment and enlightenment. Pete Docter and his talented team at Pixar tackle issues of the highest plane – death, regret, acceptance – and place their answers in the talented voices of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey. The alchemy that results invites audiences to look to the future without fear – and to find the joy in their soul.” American Film Institute

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R AT I O N

I N

A L L

C AT E G O R I E S

I N C L U D I N G

DISNEYSTUDIOSAWARDS.COM

TOC

F OR YOU R CON S I D E R AT I ON B E S T AN IMAT ED S HORT

TOC

next page T H E

B U S I N E S S ,

TOC

T E C H N O L O G Y

A R T

O F

A N I M AT I O N

A N D

April 2021

V F X

™

Superpowered to the Max: Kirkman’s Invincible Lands on Amazon Nickelodeon’s Kamp Koral, Apple TV+’s The Snoopy Show, Netflix’s City of Ghosts and More Annual Education and Career Guide

Raya and the Last Dragon: Disney’s 59th Animated Movie Scales New Heights

$7.95 U.S.

w w w . a n i m a t i o n m a g a z i n e . n e t next page

TOC

We Have Issues!

Your Number-One Connection to the Global Animation Community

www.animationmagazine.net Facebook @animationmagazine

TOC

Twitter @animag

Instagram @animationmagazine previous page

next page T H E

TOC

B U S I N E S S ,

T E C H N O L O G Y

A R T

O F

A N I M AT I O N

A N D

V F X

April 2021

™

Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon Scales New Heights Annual Education and Career Guide

Superpowered to the Max:

Kirkman’s Invincible Lands on Amazon

$7.95 U.S.

w w w . a n i m a t i o n m a g a z i n e . n e t next page

TOC

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

I N

A L L

C A T E G O R I E S

I N C L U D I N G

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE “ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS ANIMATED FILMS EVER MADE.” “UNLIKE ANYTHING AUDIENCES HAVE SEEN BEFORE.”

★★★★

“

VIBRANT AND HEARTFELT.”

F R O M O S C A R® - W I N N I N G F I L M M A K E R A N D A N I M A T O R G L E N K E A N E

www.animationmagazine.net 2

TOC

FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM april 21

We Have Issues!

Your Number-One Connection to the Global Animation Community

www.animationmagazine.net Facebook @animationmagazine

Twitter @animag

Instagram @animationmagazine

TOC

www.animationmagazine.net 2

TOC

april 21

TOC

Volume 35, Issue 4, Number 309 Frame-By-Frame

Shorts

Stuff We Love

And Then There Were 10

April Animation Planner

The Past Is a Strange Country!

Features 8

Adventures in Experimental Time

Croatian multimedia artist Dalibor Baric discusses his eccentric and unforgettable film, Accidental Luxuriance of The Translucent Watery Rebus.

Television/Streaming 14

A final look at this year’s top Animated Short Oscar contenders

Bastien Dubois tries to answer a few of questions about his Sundance prize-winning short Souvenir, Souvenir.

Asian Immersion

Disney’s new feature Raya and the Last Dragon offers a refreshingly independent heroine and a stunning backdrop, inspired by the cultures and countries of Southeast Asia. By Ramin Zahed

12 Travel

April 2021

Super-Powered and Sophisticated

Comic-book titan Robert Kirkman and his team create a brightly colored world of superheroes for Amazon’s animated Invincible series. By Ramin Zahed

VFX 29 Tech Reviews Explore new learning experiences with the Stan Winston School and FXPHD. By Todd Sheridan Perry 30

Doing the Locomotion

VFX supervisor Geoff Scott leads us on a tour of the visual highlights of the second season of Snowpiercer. By Trevor Hogg

Day in the Life 32 This month, we try to keep up with director Jun Falkenstein (Stillwater) during a typical, busy day!

18 Visiting SpongeBob and Friends’ Early Years

The creatives team behind the new Kamp Koral show discuss their shiny, new CG-animated baby. By Tom McLean

Neighborhood Spirits

First-time showrunner Elizabeth Ito shares her creative process and the inspiration behind her new Netflix series City of Ghosts.

Rabbit Love

A new animated adaptation of The Runaway Bunny hops to HBO Max. By Karen Idelson

The Beagle Has Landed Again!

Exec producer Mark Evestaff shares a few tidbits about The Snoopy Show, which charts the new adventures of the clever canine on Apple TV+.

Education & Career Guide SG1

Pandemic Academics

Animation programs pivot to a new normal. By Ellen Wolff

SG10 20 Tips on Building a Successful Portfolio By Tom Sito

SG14

International School Listings

Opportunities SG24

Autonomous Animator

Templates for the win! By Martin Grebing

Cover A: Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon centers on a heroic Southeast Asian warrior who sets out to reunite the people of her land. Cover B: Robert Kirkland’s popular superhero series Invincible makes the leap to Amazon Prime. Filmart Cover: FILM.UA continues to build the magical world of Animagrad’s Mavka. The Forest Song.

april 21 3

30 www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

E ditor ’ s N ote

ANIMATION MAGAZINE

y the time you have this issue in your hands or reading it on your phone or laptop, the animation streaming wars will have entered a new level. With the arrival of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Kamp Koral on Paramount+, we now have yet another new animation outlet to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, the battle royale between Netflix and Disney+ continues to intensify as each streamer offers new and more impressive original projects and reboots and sequels to past favorites. We also saw a massive announcement by WarnerMedia as it unveiled over 300 hours of content for Cartoon Network and HBO Max, including three new Ben 10 specials (due in April), a new series from Steven Universe writers, a second season of the upcoming Gremlins prequel, a spinoff of Teen Titans Go! and Cartoonito’s Bugs Bunny Builders, a new 2D Thomas & Friends show and a series of musical Tom and Jerry shorts. While many outlets continue to explore the always-inseason children’s animation landscape, others are opting for more adult fare. Although Robert Kirkman’s Invincible series (one of this issue’s two cover stories) can be viewed as a comic-books adaptation, it is clearly different from the usual superhero offerings because it comes from the unique and creative mind of Kirkman, who was also behind another hugely popular adaptation The Walking Dead and its spinoff show. Amazon, which also brought us the critically acclaimed show Undone in 2019, has clearly made a choice to focus on shows that cater to older audiences that appreciate more sophisticated material. Let’s not forget that Apple TV+ has also upped its game by offering gems such as Cartoon Saloon’s award season favorite Wolfwalkers, and new shows such as Central Park, Stillwater, Doug Unplugs and fresh takes on the classic Peanuts, including The Snoopy Show. That show’s exec producer Mark Evestaff was kind enough to answer a few of our questions in this issue, so you won’t want to miss his views on bringing a beloved franchise to animation in 2021. Of course, this month’s other big cover story belongs to Disney’s new courageous heroine, the memorable Southeast Asian warrior of Raya and the Last Dragon. There is something comforting about being able to lose ourselves in a new fantasy world dreamed up by the film’s talented team of writers, artists, directors and technical wizards. The fact that the filmmakers aimed for true cultural diversity and faithful depictions of the traditions and history of the region makes the project even more admirable. You know you’ll be dying to have your own Tuk Tuk plush as soon as you catch the movie on Disney+ this month. After all, who doesn’t want to own a pet pill-bug/armadillo/pug hybrid that is voiced by Alan Tudyk? Ramin Zahed Editor in Chief ramin@animationmagazine.net

Quote of the Month “Much of the power of Gatsby comes from the enchantment of Fitzgerald’s prose. He created a vivid dreamscape that, to some degree, has eluded filmmakers since the silent era. The previous film versions were constrained by live action, but innovative animation could finally realize the elusive quality of the novel.” — Oscar-winning writer/artist/ producer William Joyce (Rise of the Guardians, Meet the Robinsons, Epic, Robots, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore), who will be directing a new animated adaptation of The Great Gatsby with screenwriter Brian Selznik and DNEG studio.

April 2021

Vol. 35, Issue 4, No. 309 Info@animationmagazine.net

President and Publisher: Jean Thoren Accounting: Jan Bayouth EDITORIAL

edit@animationmagazine.net

Editor in Chief: Ramin Zahed Multimedia Editor: Mercedes Milligan Webmaster: Steven Dietrich Asst. Webmaster: Matthew Keable Tech Reviews Editor: Todd Sheridan Perry Contributors: Martin Grebing, Trevor Hogg, Karen Idelson, Tom McLean, Tom Sito, Ellen Wolff ADVERTISING SALES sales@animationmagazine.net

Sheri Shelton EVENTS Director: Kim Derevlany kim@animationmagazine.net

CREATIVE

prod@animationmagazine.net

Creative Director/Production Manager: Susanne Rector CIRCULATION

circ@animationmagazine.net

Circulation Director: Jan Bayouth TO ADVERTISE: Phone: 818-883-2884 Fax: 818-883-3773 Email: sales@animationmagazine.net Website: www.animationmagazine.net List Rental Quantum List Marketing (480) 860-6036 ANIMATION MAGAZINE (USPS 015-877/ISSN 1041-617X) Published monthly except for combined issues of June/July September/October, by Animation Magazine 24943 Kit Carson Road Calabasas, CA 91302 Periodicals postage paid at Woodland Hills Post Office CA, And additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO MAILING ADDRESS: ANIMATION MAGAZINE 26500 W. Agoura Rd. Ste. 102-651 Calabasas, CA 91302 TO SUBSCRIBE:

For the U.S., the rate is $60 for 1 year or $95 for 2 years. Rates for Canada and Mexico are US$75 for 1 year or US$120 for 2 years delivered by foreign airmail. Foreign rates are US$90 for 1 year or US$145 for 2 years delivered by foreign airmail. Please allow six to eight weeks for initial delivery. Also available in a digital version for $36 for 1 year or $60 for 2 years.

Prior written approval must be obtained to duplicate any and all contents. The copyrights and trademarks of images featured herein are the property of their respective owners. Animation Magazine acknowledges the creators and copyright holders of the materials mentioned herein, and does not seek to infringe on those rights.

www.animationmagazine.net 4

TOC

april 21

TOC

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD ®

NOMINEE

Best ANimAteD Film Produced By Mark Swift p.g.a. Directed By Joel Crawford

“A NoNstop Delight, full of bright, colorful visuals... the animation is top notch.”

universalpicturesawards.com april 21 5

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Frame-By-Frame

Stuff We Love

The Legend of Korra: The Complete Series The follow-up to Nickelodeon’s animated epic Avatar gets the luxe full series Limited Edition SteelBook treatment this month. Created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, Annie and Emmy winner Korra is set 70 years after the first show’s arc and follows the new Avatar as she faces the challenges, duties and responsibilities of her destiny. The four-book collection features new front and back cover art by Caleb Thomas and includes legacy Blu-ray bonus features. Limited to 10,000 copies. [Paramount/Nickelodeon, $98 BD | March 16]

On-Gaku: Our Sound Bored teens pin their hopes on rock ‘n’ roll in Kenji Iwaisawa’s almost entirely self-animated feature about a trio of delinquents on a quest for musical glory, trying to impress their peers and avoid a rival gang on the way. An Annecy selection and OIAF Grand Prize winner, this lo-fi slacker comedy features music by Shintaro Sakamoto and comes with making-of featurette, short films by the director and more bonus riffs. [Shout! Factory, $27 BD | March 9]

Soul One of the most highly praised films of the year and a strong awards season contender, Pete Docter and Kemp Powers’ tale of a not-quite-dead band teacher’s (Jamie Foxx) quest to inspire a spark for life in an unborn soul (Tina Fey) and get back to Earth to fulfill his dreams arrives on a variety of physical platforms today — including exclusive sets from Best Buy (SteelBook) and Target (with ltd. edition gallery book). Heavenly bonus features cover the movie’s music, artistry, technical feats and philosophy, as well as deleted scenes, commentary and more. [Disney, DVD/BD/4K | March 23]

The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon Take in the fantastical journey of Disney’s newest heroine and her scaly sidekick in this lush hardcover edition, packed with never-before-seen development art, character sketches, storyboards and color scripts. Kalikolehua Hurley, a cultural relations lead at the studio, and film producer Osnat Shurer author this colorful exploration of Raya’s warrior quest and the fantastical, Southeast Asian-inspired land of Kumandra. Forewords by directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa. [Chronicle, $43 | March 16]

Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive (Second Edition) Industry veteran David B. Levy (currently director of animation for Disney+) revises his comprehensive go-to guide to Toon Town for 2021. Advice from more than 150 top talents — including Brooke Keesling (Bento Box), Mike Hollingsworth (BoJack Horseman), Andrea Fernandez (The Cuphead Show) and Oscar nominee PES (Fresh Guacamole) — will help guide your every step, from getting the most out of school, making yourself marketable, job (or no job) tips and even setting out on your own. Plus, key resources to help you quickly find training, networking and showcase platforms. [Allworth, $20 / $15 ebook | March 2]

Ctrl + Art + Dlt Puppet Kit London-based stop-motion animator Jennifer Kidd (Norman Picklestripes, Isle of Dogs) has pivoted her popular hands-on workshops online in These Difficult Times, and now she’s made it even easier for home learners with her Pro Puppet Building Kit. Containing all the physical materials needed to craft your own animatable model at home, the kit also includes access to Kidd’s four-hour Zoom course and online tutorials. [£65-75 including shipping, educational discounts available | control-art-delete.com]

www.animationmagazine.net 6

TOC

april 21

TOC

Frame-By-Frame

April Animation Planner 5

The 6th GLAS animation fest showcases the most compelling indie efforts from around the world thru April 11 out of Berkeley, Calif. [glasanimation.com]

Ghibli’s CGI feature debut Earwig and the Witch is ready to enchant home audiences on Blu-ray and DVD!

The crew of a multi-generational space migration descend into madness in sci-fi thriller Voyagers, from writer-director Neil Burger (The Illusionist).

An MMA fighter (Lewis Tan) seeks out Earth’s greatest champions to join in an epic battle for the universe in WB’s bloody Mortal Kombat reboot, in select theaters and on HBO Max today. Watch ASIFA-Hollywood’s 48th Annie Awards online! [annieawards.org]

Jamaica hosts five days of films and informative conference programming at KingstOOn, held virtually this year. Presenters from Disney, Pixar, Sony, HIT, etc. will join the celebration of diversity in animation! [kingstoonfest.com]

Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s YA fantasy series can watch the peril and spectacle of Shadow and Bone come alive on Netflix today.

Take a cue from mascot Barbara the octopus and take in some animation self care this week with Poland’s Animocje festival, marking its 10th edition. [animocje.com]

Sci-fi super powers light up Victorian London in HBO’s The Nevers, about a gang of less-than-prim ladies with unusual abilities on a mission that could change the world.

Everyone’s favorite pigheaded patriot is back in American Dad! S18, premiering on TBS tonight.

The big day is finally here! Tune in to ABC to watch the 93rd Oscars live and find out which animated feature, short film and VFX spectacle take home the coveted statuette.

27 12

The virtual edition of the global content confab MIPTV takes place online for five days. [miptv.com]

Osamu Dezaki’s romantic historical drama Lady Oscar: The Rose of Versailles gets a lovely remastered Blu-ray release, at last. Collection 1 includes episodes 1-20. DC Animated Movie Universe fans can catch the Nazi-punchin’ latest installment, Justice Society: World War II, on Digital today.

To get your company’s events and products listed in this monthly calendar, please e-mail edit@animationmagazine.net. april 21 7

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Features

Disney’s new feature Raya and the Last Dragon offers a refreshingly independent heroine and a stunning backdrop, inspired by the cultures and countries of Southeast Asia. By Ramin Zahed strong, memorable Southeast Asian heroine is ready to make her mark in the Disney animated feature canon this month. The central figure in the studio’s 59th animated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, is tasked with finding a legendary dragon and uniting the divided people of her land to save the world from an evil force. Billed as Disney’s first animated feature to have a Southeast Asia-inspired setting, Raya is

directed by Oscar-winning studio veteran Don Hall (Big Hero 6, Winnie the Pooh, Moana) and Carlos López Estrada, a Mexican-American director best known for his music videos and the 2018 live-action feature Blindspotting. The lavish pic was produced by Osnat Shurer (Moana) and Peter Del Vecho (Frozen movies, The Princess and the Frog), written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), and features the voice talents of Kelly Marie Tran

(Raya), Awkwafina (Sisu the dragon), Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong and Alan Tudyk. Hall, who has worked with Disney since the days of Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove and Brother Bear, says this movie allowed him and his team to explore the concept of unity to fight for a common cause. “There had been some great exploration by the team into the concept of unity and togetherness,” says Hall,

www.animationmagazine.net 8

TOC

april 21

TOC

Features

A Peaceful Warrior: Kelly Marie Tran voices the lead character Raya, who sets out to save her land from the dark forces of evil.

‘It’s a testament to the skill sets of our animation department across the board. The visual style of this film is unlike anything we have ever seen in film animation.’ — Director Don Hall

“but Carlos and I felt that honing in on the trust required to achieve unity would lay a firm groundwork from which to make every decision in our lead character’s journey. This is Raya’s journey of learning to trust after her trust was so deeply broken when she was a

child.” The director says that, like Big Hero Six, Raya touches upon how a big loss affects its main character. “They’re both about a deep subject. But in Raya’s case, it’s about trust. I think that where they differ is the world, actually, to be

honest with you, and how I think we approached the world. The world of Raya is a world under duress. It’s a world that’s under a considerable amount of existential pressure from these creatures called the Druun. It is a broken world that these characters are trying to put back together.” Hall adds, “We had no real way of knowing that during the making of the film that our own world was going to be put under an incredible amount of existential pressure with the pandemic. It came by surprise with all of us. But how the film kind of mirrors our own experiences in the real world right now has been nothing short of extraordinary, actually.” In Hall’s opinion, the animation in Raya is some of the best the studio has delivered to date. “It’s a testament to the skill sets of our animation department across the board,” he notes. “Of course, story happens on the page before it goes to storyboard form. The level of subtle acting that we feature in this movie is quite impressive. We have several really broad characters, but we also have these subtle, dramatic performances, so they function on both ends of that spectrum. Overall, the visual style of this film is unlike anything we have ever seen in film animation.”

april 21 9

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Features

he legendary water dragon Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), who is at the heart of the film’s central drama, plays a big role in Raya’s journey of self-discovery. Nguyen explains, “The East has a very strong love and affection for dragons, but these dragons are very different from what you see in Game of Thrones, for example. They mean luck. They signify life-affirming powers and fortitude, and those aspects were important to expand on since Raya is a Southeast Asian-inspired hero. Sisu is highly revered and super powerful, but at the same time, we wanted to subvert our expectations of what a dragon could be like. So she’s funny. She’s goofy. She trips on herself. She’s new to the world. She’s new to what life is like now. There’s something charming and fun about her, and I think that she’s just a really fun comedic character to follow.” Hall points out, “The importance of water was a huge visual thematic in the film. In terms of Sisu being a water being, a water dragon based on the Nāga, water just became this recurring motif in the film that was extremely important.” “Awkwafina fit the dragon that we were looking for — some combination of wisdom, emotion and humor,” adds Shurer. “She brings all those three things together in some magical potion!”

‘For me, being Asian American with a Southeast Asian background, it was an opportunity to write a hero that my kids could look at and see that she looked like them, and she looked like their grandparents and their aunts and uncles … and me.’ — Screenwriter Qui Nguyen

While Raya’s world is a magical, fantasy-laden realm, the filmmakers strove to bring as much cultural authenticity as they could to Kumandra. In fact, many of them were inspired by their own family heritage and countries of origin. As Estrada points out, “We’re making a movie that is inspired by the cultures of Southeast Asia, and we want to make sure that when people from the region see this, although Kumandra (Raya’s land) is a made-up place, they can feel the love and respect the team had for the incredible real places that inspired us. We worked hard to make sure that this world we created feels dynamic, that the inspirations affecting the story really come through and that nothing is lost. We want to pay tribute to these cultures that inspired the story and the world of Kumandra.” In fact, several key members of the film’s

creative team traveled through Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore to immerse themselves in these cultures and to reflect their first-hand experiences in the film’s sights and sounds. As co-director Paul Briggs recalls, “I saw, from the people we met and the families we were with, this level of trust — to a person, everyone was so welcoming. They expected us to be there to learn and be respectful, and we were so deeply honored by everyone’s openness and welcoming spirit.” “Of the people we met, everyone had such a deep connection to their village and to their culture,” notes the film’s production designer, Paul A. Felix. “They knew all the old legends and what, aesthetically, everything means, and that’s layered into everything from fabrics to how food is created to how flowers are arranged. There’s a deeper meaning relating to their culture and their village,

www.animationmagazine.net 10

TOC

april 21

TOC

Features Authentic Characters: The artistic and design teams were inspired by trips they took to Southeast Asian countries as they created the colors, flavors and textures of the film’s various fantasy lands.

which ties into everything that they do.” To make sure they were on the right path, the filmmakers sought insights from a group of anthropologists, architects, dancers, linguists and musicians. According to the producers, these consultants offered assistance to the entire production team to ensure that Raya was grounded in respect for the diverse cultures of Southeast Asia that inspired the film. As Shurer explains, the production team looked for commonalities and recurring designs and themes within the various cultures. “The design of a building or of anything is often reflective of the point of view of the people who are living in the country,” she says. “Many of these things are common to many of the Southeast Asian cultures. It is such a diverse and big and beautiful and rich world that in finding our connection to each area, we leaned very heavily on our Southeast Asia Story Trust, on some of our experts, to help find those connections. In the key creative room itself, we had someone from Malaysia, some-

one from Thailand and somebody with a very strong connection to the Vietnamese heritage. We also have a lot of crew from various parts of the region.” Shurer says the filmmakers also paid special attention to the cuisine and regional food of each of the countries they visited. “Food is something that everyone comes together around. And we realized how visual that is, and how we could lean into it in the movie,” says the producer, who brought the same attention to regional and cultural authenticity to her previous Disney feature, Moana. Hall adds, “When connecting with those within our team who went on the research trips, it was evident that food had to be a fundamental element in the film. As we looked at our film’s theme of trust, we looked at how food is often a way of building trust and togetherness, and how that could be utilized as a thematic through-line.” Shurer concludes, “The need to come together for the greater good, despite our differences,

is something that is top of mind for so many of us. We all are excited to bring out a film that provides a space for that conversation.” Screenwriter Qui Nguyen reflects, “For me, being Asian American with a Southeast Asian background, it was an opportunity to write a hero that my kids could look at and see that she looked like them, and she looked like their grandparents and their aunts and uncles … and me. It is a positive influence in their lives, especially in these very formative years where their self-esteem is being built.” Estrada believes that the film is much more than a fantasy adventure. “It has so much comedy to offer. It has so much action and so many thrills. We really wanted the movie to be unexpected and we really wanted the movie to feel like a breath of fresh air within the genre — and even within Disney Animation.” ◆ Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon premieres in select theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on March 5.

Adele Lim

Carlos López Estrada

Osnat Shurer

april 21 11

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Features

Adventures in Experimental Time Travel Croatian multimedia artist Dalibor Baric discusses his eccentric and unforgettable film, Accidental Luxuriance of The Translucent Watery Rebus.

roatian director Dalibor Baric can’t believe how much attention his innovative experimental feature has been getting over the past few weeks. Ever since the Academy announced that his 2020 feature Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus was one of now 26 titles eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, a lot of people have become interested in his pensive sci-fi movie, which uses a wide variety of animation techniques to convey its strange message. Speaking from his home in Zagreb, Baric says he began working on the movie about two years ago and wrapped everything up only a month before the COVID lockdowns. “It was almost as if my movie anticipated the postCOVID atmosphere,” he says. “There is a mention of a quarantine and, at some point, the characters were wearing masks. It’s funny how it all reflects the world now. Originally, I started writing the movie as a way of processing my thoughts, simply as a response to the everyday realities of living in our world and the

‘Someone wrote me that my movie overwhelmed them and caused them to contemplate deeply. I think that’s what I was trying to achieve.’

www.animationmagazine.net 12

TOC

— Director Dalibor Baric

april 21

TOC

Features fact that humanity never learns from the past.” Baric says the writing questioned whether his inner reality matched the exterior world. “It was all the classic questions,” he expands. “What do we know and what don’t we know … Soon, I had a lot of these mostly micro poetic segments. Somehow without thinking too much, this story emerged about this man and a woman who are fugitives from society, and this policeman who is on their trail, which is a familiar movie trope. It was simply a skeleton for me to hang the words and the visuals on.”

Behind the Mask: Director Dalibor Baric was inspired by some of his favorite French New Wave auteurs and American horror B-movies.

A True Fan of Cinema The director, who also works as a multimedia artist and musician, says he enjoys paying homage to movies that have made an impact on him and his works. In Accidental Luxuriance, keen-eyed film fans will see references to the horror films of Roger Corman, George Romero and David Cronenberg, as well as heavier fare by Jean-Luc Godard and Andrei Tarkovsky. “We grew up with movies so we recognize the distinct language of cinematography,” he notes. “It acts like an apparatus in our brains. I love science fiction B-movies, for example, because they can explore things underneath the surface of their plots. They are labeled as harmless, unserious material, so they have more freedom. They can dig beneath the surface.” The filmmaker says he always feels better after seeing his favorite movies. “They always give me something,” he notes. “For example, I felt richer, safer and better when I watched Hiroshima Mon Amour. So, in the same way, I want to touch filmgoers on a human level. Someone wrote me that my movie overwhelmed them and caused them to contemplate deeply. I think that’s what I was trying to achieve.” Baric says his affection for these low-budget sci-fi movies goes back to his childhood, growing up in a small coastal village. “We had a small theater in town, so I went to the movies a lot,” he recalls. “I saw most of the ‘80s blockbusters, but I also saw a lot of exploitation movies, because they were cheaper to get in town. I grew up with a lot of those movies, but I didn’t understand all of them.” In addition to those low-budget movies, Baric says he loved to read European and American comic books. “I loved Heavy Metal magazine and was crazy about DC and Marvel comics. My first obsession was comic books like Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, long before I got into heavy, slow-burn movies by Ingmar Berman and Tarkovsky!” He picked up his animation and computer skills working at an animation studio in Zagreb. “I worked as an in-betweener, but I also

learned computer graphics and was doing Flash animation. Back then, we thought the Internet was going to open up new possibilities, but then it became systemized. Then I started to experiment with collages, and I felt the need to store all the animation and collages in one place.” According to Baric, he produced his movie for no more than 20,000 euros (about $24,200), using Blender, Photoshop and After Effects. “I am too lazy to do frame-by-frame animation,” he says with a smile. “My animation was basic, so I found several plug-ins to achieve this oil painting look. I also added some rotoscopy and solarization of colors in After Effects. I just don’t like a clean image. I had to add crackles, grains, glitches all throughout the movie. I need the image to shake and tremble all the time. I just can’t stand a clean aesthetic. The same is true in the audio. There are no complete silences. You

can always hear music, dialog or crackles of a record. Just like you can hear your blood pulsating.” The dynamic filmmaker is pleased that his movie has been able to play in theaters in Croatia despite all the usual COVID restrictions. “There are limited screenings where only 10 or 20 people can be allowed in theaters, in six or seven cities in the country,” he says. “But, now because of the connection to the Oscars, everyone is talking about the movie here. Most people will see it just to check the hype. It is funny that in usual times, the movie would have only got some attention in small animation circles and festivals. But now to see it being talked about by a lot of people fills my cup every day. It’s a small step for humanity, a giant leap for experimental animation!” ◆ For more info, visit kaos.hr and facebook.com/ accidentalluxuriance.

april 21 13

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming

Super-Powered and Sophisticated Comic-book titan Robert Kirkman and his team create a brightly colored world of superheroes for Amazon’s animated Invincible series. By Ramin Zahed

f you like your animated superheroes to be complicated characters who wear brightly colored spandex costumes, you are going to love the new adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s popular Invincible series, which arrives on Amazon this month. The show, which was created by Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, is based on the hit comic book published by Kirkman’s own Image imprint between 2003 and 2018. This great-looking series follows the adventures of Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun), a high school student who discovers that he has inherited the superhuman abilities of his powerful extraterrestrial father, Omni-Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons). Kirkman says his new show celebrates the magic of the superhero genre and doesn’t stray away from any of the cool elements that fans of the comic book have fallen for over the years. “It has crazy storylines and offers aspects of the su-

perhero world that haven’t been represented in animation,” he says during a recent phone interview. “We really get to see superheroes in a new light, and hopefully we’ll be expanding the genre.” Kirkman, who worked closely with Walker, supervising director Jeff Allen and the team at Skybound Entertainment (The Walking Dead), says he was inspired by retelling his dramatic tale in the one-hour animation format. “There was a ton of figuring out how to best approach the story about this young character as he enters this crazy world of superheroes,” he notes.

“It was a thrilling journey to watch our hero Mark mature and come to his own throughout the eight hours of the first season.”

Parallel Projects Development for the show was started about four years ago at the same time that Kirkman began exploring a live-action feature adaptation of the property with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. (The movie version is also moving forward.) He says one of the main challenges of the project was getting an animation studio to commit to a 2D hand-drawn

‘Invincible has crazy storylines and offers aspects of the superhero world that haven’t been represented in animation … We really get to see superheroes in a new light, and hopefully we’ll be expanding the genre.’ — Show creator and exec producer Robert Kirkman

www.animationmagazine.net 14

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming The Spandex Squad: Featuring a top voice cast which includes the likes of Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Mahershala Ali, Mark Hamill, Sandra Oh, Zazie Beetz, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Walton Goggins, Andrew Rannels, Jon Hamm and Zachary Quinto, Invincible is set in a complex world of superheroes and villains.

show for that duration. The production found a great partner in Korean studio Maven Image Platform, which has worked on projects such as Harley Quinn and Reign of the Supermen, as well as Japan’s TAP studio (which worked on episode four of the show). Skybound’s Vancouver studio handles the CG effects of the show. “That was a big undertaking, especially since many of the studios around the world are very busy right now,” explains Kirkman. “So it felt like we set out to do the impossible. I can’t say enough about the hard work that all these great animation teams have done to make this happen. That was a very gratifying sight to see.” “Cory Walker and I wrapped up our work on the comic books after 16 years and 144 issues

and we just had to roll into adapting it into an animated series,” recalls Kirkman. “We revisited this world in a new light and got to watch all these amazing characters come to life. I went through a similar process with The Walking Dead, but here we got to work with voice actors and animation to hone it as closely as possible to the comic book.” “We were able to have some high-octane scenes with lots of drama and cool violence,” he notes. “I mean, we get to see heads explode and eyeballs flying around. We also have some truly heartbreaking scenes. We strengthened the narrative by moving some events around and reconstructed subplots so that audiences can see the evolution of the story in a clear way. Fans of the comic books will get the

‘In other animated shows I had worked on, we weren’t allowed to show a character be thrown out of a glass window because that’d be dangerous. So, they would have to be thrown out of an open window, for example.’ — Supervising director Jeff Allen

scenes they are expecting to see, but there will be lots of twists and turns as we’re expanding on the stories in different ways.”

A Die-Hard Fan at the Helm Invincible’s supervising director Jeff Allen says he was a huge fan of the comic-book series from the very first issue. “I loved both the writing and the art, and was totally blown away by it,” says Allen, a TV animation biz veteran whose directing credits include Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man and Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue. “I collected every issue all the way to the final one, and when they came up with the hardcover volume and compendiums, I bought them, too! I’d keep reading them again and started from the beginning, too. I’ve read parts of it thousands of times!” Allen says not having to talk down to the younger audiences of the show has been a very liberating experience. “In other animated shows I had worked on, we weren’t allowed to show a character be thrown out of a glass window because that’d be dangerous, so they would have to be thrown out of an open win-

april 21 15

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming High School Hijinx: Teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) realizes his newly developed superpowers come with a litany of problems and responsibilities. Left, his father Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) is one of the show’s most complex characters.

dow, for example,” he explains. “We can also point a gun at the camera, which isn’t allowed in other animated shows. The scripts are all well-written and intelligent and there’s a rewarding overarching storyline for the whole show. Not only do I get to work on an adultthemed superhero show, it’s one that is near and dear to my heart.” On a purely visual level, the show adheres to what audiences are expected to see in a superhero comic adaptation, but as Allen points out, the grown-up elements definitely push the envelope. “Corey Walker, who co-created the comic-book with Robert, is our character designer — so it looks like he drew the whole show,” he notes. “It’s a brightly colored superhero cartoon, but there’s the juxtaposition with blood and gore. I don’t want to spoil anything, but things get bloodier and darker as the season progresses. Even our title cards get bloodier with each episode!” Thematically, the show’s subject matter is also deeper and darker. Allen says the heart of Invincible is Mark’s difficult journey as he has to decide what kind of a superhero he wants to be. “We have 140 issues to delve in, and hopefully we can tell a lot of wonderful stuff as we explore every nook and cranny of the comic books,” he says. “It’s a lot different than adapting source material to a movie, which means you have to compact the story down into two hours. We can take our time.” When asked about the target audience for the series, Allen says it’s definitely PG-13. “My daughter just turned 13 and I ask myself, will she be watching the show with us? Her friends are big Walking Dead fans. But when I think about myself when I was 10, my friends and I would be so happy to watch a show like this!”

From Studio to Bedroom Of course, like many other TV creatives, Allen and his team had to deal with the COVID pandemic and the adjustments necessary to work from home. But since many of the 220 people working on the show were based in studios in Vancouver, Korea and Japan, it was a smoother transition than most. “I don’t miss commuting to work,” he says. “Editing was a little rough in the beginning, but Evercast [the remote collaboration platform] took care of that. I think it ended up working out better for the production. Everyone was more productive and we got a lot more done. For me, especially, since at home my office is right next to my bed! But I do miss interacting with people and sitting in the edit room.”

Heroes in Spandex What Allen is especially pleased about is the show’s all-out devotion to telling a good story. “I love the feeling of this world of superheroes that Robert has created,” he explains. “I love the brightly colored spandex costumes they wear. Plus, it’s a great coming-of-age story about our main character, and it doesn’t exactly go in the direction you’d expect it to go. Robert wrote the first and the final (eighth) episode of the season, and we really wanted to knock it out of the park. I am really proud of what we did, and I really want to do better in Season Two!” As a kid, Allen loved reading comic books and watching Tom and Jerry cartoons, Thundarr the Barbarian and The Herculoids on TV. He says he grew up wanting to be a comicbook artist for Marvel and to be a film director. Directing animated shows like Invincible has allowed him to combine both of his dreams. He also mentions that working with a comicbook icon like Kirkman has been a real thrill.

“He is very laid-back, extremely funny and no-nonsense, and he tells you straight out if he doesn’t like something or thinks something is a stupid idea,” admits Allen. “He is always filled with ideas. I remember sitting in a room with him and our composer, and I got a little starstruck. My main goal was to make him and Cory happy. Of course, things go wrong — but when things work, you feel like this weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Do you remember in the movie Interstellar, when Matthew McConaughey is watching the video of his adult daughter and he’s bawling? That’s what I was doing, when everything was right and we didn’t need any retakes!” Kirkman mentions that shows like The Transformers and G.I. Joe were big touchstones of his childhood, and he recognizes the power animated worlds can have on young minds. “I wasn’t the only one who rushed home from high school to watch Batman: The Animated Series on TV,” he notes. “I also love Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D. and the Akira movie. It’s been absolutely amazing to watch these massive streaming platforms finally recognize the values of storytelling and what adult animation is on the cusp of being able to do. Anime fans have been watching this stuff for years and know what the medium is capable of.” For Kirkman and his team, Invincible is a harbinger of the next wave of superhero shows on the small screen. “We are going to see insane spectacle and crazy action-packed adult animation dominating the streaming landscape in the near future,” he predicts. “Those movies and adult animation appeal to the same audience, and streaming platforms are recognizing this. It’s a new era.” ◆ Invincible premieres on Amazon Prime on March 26. New episodes arrive weekly on Fridays.

www.animationmagazine.net 16

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming

april 21 17

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming

Visiting SpongeBob and Friends’ Early Years The creatives team behind the new Kamp Koral show discuss their shiny, new CG-animated baby. By Tom McLean

fter more than two decades ruling the airwaves from his undersea bromeliad home, SpongeBob SquarePants is finally getting a spinoff show that will give viewers a fuller understanding of their porous pal’s misspent youth. Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years debuts its 13-episode first season March 4 on the new Paramount+ streaming service, the same day that the feature that inspired it — The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run — gets its U.S. debut on the same service. Loyal SpongeBob viewers will be glad to know that the original’s creative hands are also guiding Kamp Koral, which is co-executive produced by Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller and Jennie Monica, and reunites original series voice cast members Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton. The CG-animated show puts younger versions of these classic characters into the pressure cooker of summer camp, providing new creative opportunities for the show’s veteran creators.

“The nice thing about camp is that it’s an entirely different world with an entirely different set of dials and whistles we can use on SpongeBob,” says Waller. “We were also able to introduce some new characters into this world, too, that allowed us more weird or different dynamics than we usually do,” says Ceccarelli. “It’s like a jumpstart to our creativity, putting somebody in a different space like that.”

Return of the Comedy Champs Ceccarelli and Waller wanted the show to retain the broad appeal and quality of the original series, and wanted to steer clear of being perceived as a “babies” version of the show. So while Sponge on the Run used child actors for the younger versions of SpongeBob and pals, the original series cast returned for

Kamp Koral. Waller says there was some trepidation among the cast at first about the idea, but once they read the scripts and saw the visuals, they were all in. “They’re like, ‘Okay, all right, we’re doing the same thing, it’s just shaped a little bit different and fun to look at in a different way,’” he says. “Some of them are aging themselves down vocally and a few of the other ones we do a little bit of pitch magic to them, to get them into a younger-ish sort of area — but it’s still our comedy actors, you know, being able to do the kind of comedy that we’re used to doing with them,” says Ceccarelli. The premise puts the characters into what Ceccarelli describes as a bit of a pressure cooker. “All the kids are kind of trapped in the same environment,” he says. “Especially our

‘We were also able to introduce some new characters into this world, too, that allowed us more weird or different dynamics than we usually do … It’s like a jumpstart to our creativity, putting somebody in a different space like that.’ — Exec producer Marc Ceccarelli

www.animationmagazine.net 18

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming leads — we put them all in the same cabin.” Outside the camp, there are some wild hillbilly type characters, including narwhal siblings Nobby and Narlene, voiced respectively by Carlos Alazraqui and Kate Higgins. Ceccarelli describes them as tricksters: “They come in and are constantly messing with the kids, but the kids love them because they’re so genuine.” Rodger Bumpass, who voices Squidward, says there was some discussion early on about whether the actors would try to pitch up their voices. “But we decided that we would just do our regular acting for the characters, and that helps us,” he says. Kamp Koral casts Squidward as a junior counselor, which plays perfectly to the character’s foibles. “He’s in something of a position of authority, as opposed to his position at the Krusty Krab, and being ever so slightly older than the rest of the kids, he gets to wield his power over them, and basically it just translates as another arena for his frustration,” says Bumpass. “It’s a wonderful consistency with the performance of Squidward from the classic show, but with nuances that helped me spread my wings as far as different things to do in this show.” Kamp Koral deviates from the original by using CG animation instead of traditional 2D. Waller says he was nervous about the quality of CG animation going into the project, but his concerns were put to rest by the quality of Younger and Sillier: Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke voice younger versions of SpongeBob and Patrick in the new show Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years.

“That’s really opened up all kinds of possibilities to try and get some of the bigger, cartoonier types of expressions and movements that we love to do in the 2D show,” Ceccarelli says.

Bigger Elasticity

work produced by the show’s India-based crew at Technicolor. “As soon as I saw what we’d cobbled together with our new amazing crew — SpongeBob and Patrick standing in their cabin, at their camp — I wanted to go and sit in that cabin, I wanted to go and smell that wood. I wanted to go be there,” he says. “I’ve actually been surprised at how much of the aesthetics of 2D that we love, that we’ve been able to actually port over to the CG world,” says Ceccarelli. Technology allows the show’s animators to sculpt and alter digital models themselves, where previously the same effect would have required the construction of new or specialized models.

Ceccarelli lauds the animators’ ability to translate the look and feel of the original into CG. “We’re trying to have the same sort of crazy, wild posing that you get in the regular 2D show,” he says. ”It’s gonna look a lot different than a lot of CG shows out there, because our models are so elastic, and we do so much with them in an attempt to bring a lot of the same kind of humor out of the visuals.” Bumpass says he loves the nuances that come from the CG style, citing a moment where Squidward has an Ed Norton from The Honeymooners moment in which he prepares to play a horn by readying his mouth with exaggerated lip movements that looked great and gave him a chance to play with sound. “They just go on into abstraction about it and I love those beats,” he says. Incorporating unusual and low-tech effects is a hallmark of the original series, and continues with Kamp Koral. “Don’t be surprised if everybody turns into a puppet in one scene, or there’s a live-action person matted into an episode where you wouldn’t expect them to be,” says Ceccarelli. ”We’re always trying to find ways of making it funkier and more multimedia.” But at the end of the day, what makes Kamp Koral work is the same thing that makes the original SpongeBob SquarePants work: Making kids and adults laugh. “We want your parents to be able to sit next to you and watch it and laugh,” says Waller. “Maybe they get a different joke than you do, but they’re laughing at the same time you’re laughing.” ◆ Kamp Koral premieres on the new Paramount+ streaming service on March 4.

april 21 19

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming

Neighborhood Spirits First-time showrunner Elizabeth Ito shares her creative process and the inspiration behind her new Netflix series City of Ghosts.

f you’ve been looking for a beautifully imagined, smart and thoughtful new animated children’s show, your prayers have been answered in the form of Elizabeth Ito’s City of Ghosts, which premieres this month on Netflix. The new offering is a clever, documentary-style hybrid animation series in which a group of kids discover stories around their city by communicating directly with the ghosts who inhabit it. Ito, an Emmy-winning director and writer on Adventure Time and creator of the short Welcome to My Life who has also worked on Phineas and Ferb, Hotel Transylvania, Bee Movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about her new project: Animag: Congrats on your fantastic new show. Can you tell us a little bit about how it all came to be? Elizabeth Ito: It feels like it was a lifetime ago. A couple of years ago, when I was brought into Netflix, I thought we were going to make my 2014 short Welcome to My Life into something bigger, but that property was tied up with Cartoon Network. So, they asked me to come up with an-

other idea that I would be as interested in. I was thinking about how many neighborhoods in Los Angeles are changing and noticing how things are disappearing, whitewashed and gentrified. I also have two small kids, and wanted to create a calmer show — something for more introverted, quieter people! That’s how I came up with the idea for City of Ghosts, which explores the history that exists in L.A. from the perspective of these intuitive kids. My mandate was to come up with something I couldn’t do anywhere else. So it was both exciting and scary! Have your own kids seen the show? Yes; they are four and six years old. They’ve seen all the episodes and know different lines from the show. For me, the best part is that they like it! Not only does the show look quite different from other children’s shows, its writing process is quite original, too. Can you tell us a little bit about that? When I first started, I wanted to explore how to write something that was a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but we don’t do that often in chil-

Elizabeth Ito

dren’s animation. So I wanted to get somebody who came from the documentary side. Joanne Shen is a friend of mine from CalArts who is married to a documentary producer-writer, so I called her on a whim. I had to find out how to incorporate that into the show, and build a team and build a template that would work. She was one of the first people that came onboard. Then we had to figure out our pipeline and the schedule for what we were doing. The next person I contacted was Jenny Yang, who is a comedy writer who worked for The Daily Show. I reached out to her because she knows a lot about issues that are going on in the city. That’s when I found out that she has a background in urban planning and policy and studied it at UCLA. We worked with her on a couple of sessions where we discussed the overall issues in the city. We tried to stay away from really volatile issues. I wanted the stories to focus on appreciating different cultures. We didn’t want parents not to watch it. We also wanted to veer towards something that kids would want to watch, and we wanted to be informed enough to discuss the particular subjects in each episode.

www.animationmagazine.net 20

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming You were one of the first projects launched at the then-new Netflix Animation studio in Hollywood, right? At first, we were set up on the space on Sunset Boulevard, down the street from big studio offices. It was a great learning experience for me. We had to set up this office for all these creators. Nothing was built yet, and little by little Netflix started to grow. I actually prefer working in a smaller space with a smaller crew. It made me learn a lot about what I thrive on and how to build a crew that works well with me. We were one of the smallest teams. I could count all the board artists and directors on my two hands. It helped us work very efficiently. Of course, we only had six episodes to produce. Which other animation studios did you work with on the show? I worked very closely with my husband’s [Kevin Dart] studio Chromosphere and the French animation studio TeamTO (Mighty Mike, PJ Masks), which I worked with on Welcome to My Life. I had a great experience with them and they’re stylistically parallel to how I like to work. For the overall look of the show, we knew we wanted to have live-action backgrounds. It was fun to come up with this new process with Chromosphere. We would meet with people that we’d want to interview in different neighborhoods … Leimert Park, Boyle Heights, Venice, Santa Monica, Koreatown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Highland Park, Echo Park. Some were real places, and some were made up or composites. Can you tell us about the various animation tools you used to create the visuals? We explored different tools; there’s so much out there. When I was at Sony, they were using new technology that helped plan the lighting for a 3D character in a real place. It would be great to know that there is the possibility that we can do this. But we had to strike a balance between what would be cool versus how much we could afford. We looked at modeling things in Quill in the VR space, but we didn’t do it in the end because they were too technical or cost too much to do. The nice thing was that Chromosphere figured out a pipeline which allowed us to do compositing after we were done. We used Maya and After Effects and some proprietary tools.

An Urban Homage: Elizabeth Ito and her team used real-life locations around Los Angeles to capture the authentic feel of the city’s various neighborhoods and diverse communities.

How did the production deal with the city’s COVID-19 restrictions? We were lucky because all of the stuff that needed in-person interactions like the photo shoots and records were finished on the last week before people were told to stay home. The timing was just like Indiana Jones grabbing his hat from under a shutting door in the very last moment! Of course, the post process was tricky, too. Normally you can just go over the material and ask them to adjust certain things. If you haven’t met with them or worked with them before, it’s not easy when your first interaction is giving written notes or doing it over the phone. I’m really glad that we weren’t figuring out the story notions, tweaking the animatics or writing the show remotely, because it’s easy to miscommunicate CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 april 21 21

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming

Rabbit Love A new animated adaptation of The Runaway Bunny hops to HBO Max. By Karen Idelson

argaret Wise Brown’s lyrical and popular children’s book The Runaway Bunny tells the story of a baby bunny who desperately wants to break free and see the outside world. The nearly 80-year-old book features iconic illustrations by Clement Hurd and has been namechecked on classic TV shows like Cheers for its ability to make even the most hardhearted of adults break

down in tears. Nevertheless, the book’s plot is simple and doesn’t feature the kinds of twists and turns that might entice most filmmakers to adapt it for the screen. The creatives who jump on board would have to find a way to fill in the story without pulling the tale too far off track. Enter director/producer Amy Schatz and director of animation Maciek Albrecht,

the Emmy-winning creative team behind the Classical Baby series and the Good Night Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales special “It’s a classic book and we set out to actually bring the book itself to life,” says Schatz. “The goal was to try to figure out how to make a film which was inspired by and actually captures the illustration, style and the poetry of the book. The challenge was really that it’s a picture book, and it takes maybe 10 minutes to read. So, the main question was, how do you make a film that brings to life a short picture book that’s really a quiet little story, a moment in time, an interaction between a mother bunny and her baby bunny playing in a field of grass? When you have something so beloved, and so classic, you have to make sure you get it right. Our goal was to stay as true to the tone and quality of the book, but to expand it and bring it to life as a film.”

A Musical Tale

A Mother’s Day: HBO Max’s new animated special brings Margaret Wise Brown’s ode to motherhood to animated life.

Schatz brought in a cast of skilled vocal performers. Since the book itself already had a kind of ephemeral quality, the director also decided that music would be a powerful way to preserve the feeling of the book while giving the story and animation a chance to expand. The soundtrack features songs by many

www.animationmagazine.net 22

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming A-list singer-songwriters. Ziggy Marley recorded “What a Wonderful World”; Mariah Carey updated her classic “Always Be My Baby”; Rufus Wainwright performs a lullaby called “Goodnight, My Angel”; Kelly Rowland is featured on “Make You Feel My Love”; and Rosanne Cash sings “You Are My Sunshine,” which was a hit for her father. Tracee Ellis Ross narrates the story. “They all did it in their home studios and we were lucky to get them to do it,” says Schatz. With the look of the book in mind, Albrecht went on a search for animators who had a skill and affinity for hand-drawn animation. His search led him to every corner of the planet. There were crew members from Poland, Vermont, California, Turkey, Russia, the Philippines and Colombia as well as other locations. And after carefully analyzing the original bunny drawings of the book, he also discovered there were certain differences between the bunnies from page to page. Albrecht and Schatz found that when they followed the look of actual bunnies too close-

ly, the eyes of the bunnies made the facial characteristics of the animals look mean or angry, so they worked on preserving the look of the original illustrations. While some other elements in the adaptation were not entirely hand drawn, all the bunnies were. “We had about 10 animators from all over the world,” says Albrecht. “It’s a very difficult thing to find someone who can do something like this. And everybody has their own way of drawing. I think it still has the same spirit as the book, having some differences from sequence to sequence. It has a little imperfection. This was such an incredible opportunity to go back to hand-drawn animation. The

What do you hope audiences will take away from your show? I am so excited for people to see it. I hope they feel they really learn something new, something that they didn’t know before, in an entertaining way. I also hope they find a story that they can relate to and that they see themselves represented on TV. That they see someone that reminds them of themselves. The biggest thing is that I hope families feel that they can watch this show together and laugh and talk about it. You’ve been one of the vocal champions of hav-

City of Ghosts debuts on Netflix on March 5.

Who are some of your biggest animation influences? I have been watching Miyazaki movies forever. When I think about children’s programming that I admire, Jim Henson comes to mind immediately. He was this brilliant, creative spirit that made so many things that inspired my imagination and formed my sense of humor. Then, there are experimental animators like Norman McLaren and Oskar Fischinger. I also think Michel Gondry’s music videos are so clever.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

When did you realize you wanted to work in animation? When I was in high school, all my friends were doing academic summer programs, but I applied to the California State Summer School for the Arts. They had all these different kinds of art you could study, and I picked animation because

The Runaway Bunny premieres on HBO Max on March 25.

ing diversity in animation both on the screen and behind it. What is your take on the progressive climate in 2021? I am really excited about the diversity in animation today. It’s interesting because Mister Rogers is someone who has emerged as everyone’s favorite dude now. There is this feeling of appreciation for this fundamental caring attitude that he had. That’s what we want to show people: How to be gentle and understand our feelings. I’m excited to be in the position that I am currently. It hits home with me as I also have two kids at home myself. I feel that kids deserve more respect, especially when I think of some of the children’s programming of my youth, which was about selling us toys. I mean, they were sort of entertaining us. You could show us any over-the-top, loud garbage, and we would be drawn to it as kids. I am excited that it’s not about that anymore and kids are able to judge content just as we are as adults. Sure, there are times that you just want to watch something trashy. It’s fine to have that as long as we have the other stuff, too, which is what I enjoy making — material that is deep, personal and a calming force and not about driving people to buy stuff. The more I can be part of that, the better I feel about what I’m putting out there and doing for my own kids. ◆

I thought that would be interesting. On the first day, I was really scared, but I loved that animation combined so many different things: writing, music and drawing.

when you’re doing it over the Internet.

biggest part was organization, how to actually do it, trying to get everybody working online (because of COVID).” “Like any great children’s book, this one has deep messages for us,” says Schatz. “It’s about childhood. It’s about growing up. It’s about becoming independent. It’s about parenting and about love. And it’s a really timeless story about unconditional love, about how a child wants to test his or her independence and about a parent saying, ‘I’ll be here for you through thick and thin.’ It has this message of, ‘I will always be there for you, no matter where you go. And no matter what you do, I’ll be there.’ I think we always want to put stuff into the world for kids and for all of us that has some deep meaning to it. Especially during our times, having something beautiful to put into the world when it’s been such a difficult year. It was particularly meaningful to have this project, which is full of just a kind of gentleness.” ◆

april 21 23

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

TV/Streaming

The Beagle Has Landed Again! Exec producer Mark Evestaff shares a few tidbits about The Snoopy Show, which charts the new adventures of the clever canine on Apple TV+.

eanuts fans took a deep sigh of relief when The Snoopy Show joined the colorful lineup of animated fare on Apple TV+ in February. The new Peanuts/WildBrain co-pro follows in the pawprints of the Daytime Emmy-winning Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10 and the Emmynominated Snoopy in Space, two previous projects which re-introduced Charles M. Schulz’s beloved beagle and his friends to the streamer recently. As series showrunner and exec producer Mark Evestaff tells us, WildBrain acquired the rights to produce new Peanuts content in 2017. Stephanie Betts, the studio’s exec VP of content and current series, was tasked with building a team to develop some ideas for shows. So, she brought in Evestaff, executive story editor Alex Galatis, director Rob “Boots” Boutilier and creative consultant Kris Pearn (The Willoughbys) to work on the property. “Charles Schulz drew almost 18,000 Peanuts comic strips over 50 years — what popular culture professor Robert Thompson called ‘arguably the longest story ever told by one human being,’” notes Evestaff. “That wealth of strips became our main source of inspiration. After digging back in, it became clear there were so many Snoopy stories left to tell. His unique perspective, wild imagination and outsized personality were just too much to ignore. As we continued to develop the show, the panels from the comic strip became our foundation, constantly informing our storytelling, art direction and character development.”

The Pooch’s Perspective Evestaff, whose previous TV credits include Snoopy in Space, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Rocket Monkeys, says there are various ways in which the new animated take is different from previous adaptations of the beloved pooch. “We all love the classic Peanuts specials, but we really wanted to find a different angle into Schulz’s world,” he explains. “Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang still play a big role, but making our show more Snoopy-centric means that we won’t always be anchored to the neighborhood. Focusing on this perspective has allowed us to carve a path that isn’t simply trying to emulate the specials.” According to the producer, because the “World Famous Beagle” has gone so many places and done so many things, they had more flexibility in the kinds of stories they have been able to tell. Evestaff notes, “We can fly around in Snoopy’s imagination, head out on a Beagle Scout adventure or visit Snoopy’s brother Spike in Needles, California. Our shows are also much shorter than the specials, with three sevenminute shows packaged together to make up one episode — a bit more aligned with the feeling of reading a daily strip.” The productions’ animation is produced at WildBrain Studios in Vancouver, Canada, using Toon Boom’s Harmony software. “Over 120 talented artists and production staff who have gone

beyond their job description and poured their hearts into creating this show,” says Evestaff. To develop the right visuals for the show, directors Ridd Sorensen, Behzad Mansoori-Dara and Steve Evangelatos worked closely with art director Joseph Holt to create the look and feel of the show. “For the locations, it was important to honor the past, but we also made sure it felt updated,” says the producer. “Joseph started with the linework, looking at the kinds of pens and tips Mr. Schulz used to ink the strip. Then he applied a brighter palette and used complex textures to get more depth. He also integrated an offset look where the line work and color are slightly off in terms of registration. This made it reminiscent of the Sunday strips which were always in color.” Series director Boutilier and his team were responsible for the show’s faithful design, which captured the quintessential look of the comic strip’s delightful characters. “They went to painstaking lengths to ensure the characters were on model and moved true to form,” says Evestaff. “This wasn’t easy, considering part of the charm of Mr. Schulz’s work is that these characters evolved over time and were not always drawn the same way. Also, because they’re pulled from a comic strip, the turnarounds don’t always make sense. Schulz was a cartoonist, but he was also a great designer. He always went for the best pose, and didn’t worry too much

www.animationmagazine.net 24

TOC

april 21

TOC

TV/Streaming Good Grief! They’re All Back: The Snoopy Show revisits the world of the imaginative beagle as well as many of the strip’s favorite characters, including (pictured on top) Charlie Brown, Linus, Franklin, Marcie, Sally and Pig Pen and Lucy (below).

about how the character got into those poses. Our team worries about that a lot!” The team at WildBrain also worked closely with Creative Associates, the company that oversees all things Peanuts with an emphasis on preserving Schulz’s legacy. “That includes the Schulz family, along with CCO Paige Braddock and her team of artists,” says the producer. “We worked together on many stages of production including scripts, animatics, design and animation. It’s been a great partnership and has really grounded the show in the spirit of the original strip.” One of the production’s biggest challenges was getting the big team of artists and production staff working from home in under a week after the COVID lockdown orders went into effect last year. “Our producer Kimberly Small did a remarkable job keeping the show on track through constantly changing circumstances, always managing to put the team and creative first while also somehow staying on schedule and on budget,” says Evestaff. “We know how fortunate we are to work in this industry, on such an iconic brand. We also understand that in these challenging times there’s the added responsibility of more eyes on screens, and the need for more joy and thoughtfulness in the content we produce.”

In Praise of Schulz’s Genius The showrunner says one of the reasons Peanuts continues to attract new generations of fans each year is because Schulz was brilliant at distilling human (and beagle) shapes down to their most essential forms. “This simplified approach was very different for its time, when other comic artists were focused on more realistic or graphic renderings,” he points out. “The massive heads and cartoony proportions meant there was plenty of room for an endless array of expressions.

‘Charles Schulz drew almost 18,000 Peanuts comic strips over 50 years. After digging back in, it became clear there were so many Snoopy stories left to tell.’ — Showrunner/exec producer Mark Evestaff

The result, taking years to perfect, was deceptively simple. Snoopy alone went through a number of transformations before he first stood on two legs and stepped into his happy dance.” He adds, however, that it wasn’t just the character visuals that set a new standard. What the young cast of characters said was also groundbreaking: “A kid questioning their place in the world, or coming to grips with big, existential questions, weren’t familiar themes at the time,” says Evestaff. “They still aren’t. I believe that’s a big part of what gives these characters such great emotional depth and a sense of timelessness.” Looking back at all the work that resulted in a well-received new show, Evestaff says it’s been a dream come true to work with these characters. “WildBrain and Apple TV+ knew the importance of getting this right and put the re-

sources and support behind it. My hope is that we can encourage a new generation to tune in and connect with Peanuts in the same way audiences have for over 70 years now.” Of course, we have to ask Evestaff about his favorite character! “Good Ol’ Charlie Brown!,” he replies. “I love how much he wants to win, but he’s just too good at losing. I suspect every culture throughout time has had a Charlie Brown among their ranks. Who hasn’t been a Charlie Brown themselves at some point? But even after all that failure and rejection, Charlie Brown never gives up. Not on his kite, his team — and especially not on his dog. Without this ‘round headed kid’ bringing him supper, we wouldn’t have Snoopy. And without Snoopy, we wouldn’t have a show!” ◆ You can stream The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space and Peanuts in Space on Apple TV+.

april 21 25

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Shorts Shorts

And Then There Were 10 A final look at this year’s top Animated Short Oscar contenders

ongrats to the 10 animated shorts that made the Academy Awards’ shortlist. Ninety-six shorts originally qualified in this category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The nominations will be announced on March 15. This year’s virtual Academy Awards will take place on April 25.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are: Hamer, Joe Wilson; animation director Daniel Sousa Produced by: Hamer, Wilson, Wong-Kalu Synopsis: Kapaemahu reveals the healing power of four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach— and the legendary transgender spirits within them. Website: kapaemahu.com

Burrow

Burrow (U.S.)

Directed by: Madeline Sharafian Produced by: Mike Capbarat Synopsis: A young rabbit sets out to dig the burrow of her dreams — despite not having a clue about what she’s doing. She gets by with a little help from her neighbors. Website: pixar.com/sparkshorts

Opera (U.S.)

If Anything Happens I Love You (U.S.)

Directed by: Michael Govier and Will McCormack Produced by: Gary Gilbert, Gerald Chamales Synopsis: This powerful, minimalistic short charts the emotional journey of two parents struggling to overcome the hurt left by the loss of their child in a school shooting. Website: netflix.com

Genius Loci (France)

Directed by: Adrien Merigeau Produced by: Amaury Ovise Synopsis: One night, a young loner named Reine sees the urban chaos as a mystical oneness that seems alive, like some sort of a guide. Website: adrienmerigeau.com/genius-loci

Directed by: Erick Oh Produced by: Beasts and Natives Alike Synopsis: This ambitious 8K size animation installation project portrays human society and history, filled with beauty and absurdity as a never-ending cycle of achievements, wars, servitude and hierarchies. Website: erickoh.com/film#/opera

Out (U.S.)

Kapaemahu (U.S.)

Directed by: Steven Clay Hunter Produced by: Max Sachar Synopsis: Things taken an unexpected turn when a young gay man who has not come out to his parents swaps brains with his helpful dog. Website: pixar.com/sparkshorts

Directed by: Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean www.animationmagazine.net 26

TOC

april 21

TOC

Shorts Shorts

The Snail and the Whale

The Snail and the Whale (U.K.)

Directed by: Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon Produced by: Martin Pope and Michael Rose Synopsis: Based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s book, this CG-animated special centers on a snail who hitches a lift on a whale’s tail to see the world. The snail feels very small in the big world, but when the whale is beached in a bay, she comes to the rescue! Website: magiclightpictures.com

Traces

Ardèche river gorge, when an animal was painted, it was hunted. Gwel is appointed head of the group of hunters while Karou the painter and his apprentice Lani set off to paint the walls of the great cavern. But they hadn’t counted on meeting a lion. Website: lesfilmsdunord.com/traces upon his magic routine, the two make a big impact on each other’s lives. Website: dreamworks.com

Traces (France)

Directed by: Sophie Tavert Macian and Hugo Frassetto Produced by: Arnaud Demuynck; Les Films du Nord Synopsis: About 36,000 years ago in the

Yes-People

Directed by: Gísli Darri Halldórsson Produced by: Halldórsson, Arnar Gunnarsson Synopsis: One morning an eclectic mix of people face the everyday battle - such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope. Website: caoz.com, magnetfilm.de ◆

Yes-People

To: Gerard (U.S.)

Directed by: Taylor Meacham Produced by: Jeff Hermann Synopsis: A sprightly mailman dreams of one day finding his audience as a famous magician. When an inquisitive young girl wanders

The Visual Effects Shortlist: Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) Bloodshot (Sony Pictures) Love and Monsters (Paramount) Mank (Netflix) The Midnight Sky (Netflix) Mulan (Disney) The One and Only Ivan (Disney) Soul (Disney-Pixar)

Soul

Tenet (Warner Bros.) Welcome to Chechnya (HBO) ◆

april 21 27

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Shorts Shorts

The Past Is a Strange Country! Bastien Dubois tries to answer a few of questions about his Sundance prize-winning short Souvenir, Souvenir.

rench helmer Bastien Dubois’ year started off on a winning note when his latest short Souvenir, Souvenir picked up the Short Film Jury Award: Animation prize at Sundance in January. The autobiographical project is inspired by his grandfather’s experiences of the Algerian War (1954-1962) and how reluctant he was to share the reality of the conflict with his family. Dubois, who made a big splash in 2010 with his Oscar-nominated short Madagascar, a Journey Diary, which was followed up by Cargo Cult in 2013, says he had been wanting to make this project for quite a while now. “I have had questions in my head since I was a kid and decided to make a comic strip based on the idea when I was a teenager,” Dubois tells Animation Magazine. “I knew it would be an animated short around 2005, but I really started to write it in 2011. The project was released in 2020 and I think I spent close to three years to put it all together. Actually, this short is about how I decided to make it — and even how I tried to avoid it. It’s kind of about my attempts to make a movie I really didn’t want to make!” According to Dubois, a lot of people helped him along the way for short periods of time. “I guess it was because the pipeline was chaotic, which was my fault,” he admits. “The edit changed several times, which was my fault, too, and also because I had to hire and work in different regions due to the funding — our budget was about 200,000 euros (about $241,900). We used TVPaint, Adobe (Premiere, After, Photoshop) and Blender. But mostly, we used After Effects.” The director, who is currently working on an animated feature about the late Russian journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya, says the toughest part of the job was crafting the script. “It was difficult to dig into myself and my memories,” he notes.

French Snapshot: Bastien Dubois’s prize-winning short reflects on his grandfather’s experiences in the French-Algerian war.

‘I am always telling stories and making films about myself, so I am not sure that this is a behavior I need to encourage!. I swear If I could write fiction, I would do that instead!’ — Director Bastien Dubois

“Staying motivated, overcoming my doubts and jumping to the next step was also tough. Every step of the way … almost every day!” So, which part of the short gave him the most satisfaction? “Well, certainly not my voice!” he responds. “I would say it was working with my grandmother. She did her own voice and I think she was terrific. She passed away two weeks before the film was done. I’m really frustrated that she didn’t get to see it. Otherwise, the sound … I am so happy to have music by Anetha and AVC on board for the audio.” Since Souvenir, Souvenir centers on members of his own family, we had to find out how they all responded to Doubis’ personal take on their shared history. “They had no reactions,” Dubois confesses. “They kept all their emotions deep inside, just like we always do.” When it comes to naming his animation

www.animationmagazine.net 28

TOC

idols, Dubois responds with a joke, as expected. “There are no animation heroes!” he laughs. “There are only losers … spending our lives alone in the dark! Seriously, though, I would say Jérémy Clapin, Réka Bucsi, Martina Scarpelli, Sawako Kabuki, Léahn Vivier-Chapas, Chintis Lundgren, Nadja Andrasev, Shoko Hara and Alice Saey are a few of my heroes and heroines.” Of course, we couldn’t let Dubois get away without giving a few helpful tips to shorts directors. “Oh my, I don’t know!” he says. “I am always telling stories and making films about myself, so I am not sure that this is a behavior I need to encourage! Most of my friends are bored. I think if this is your obsession, if there is no other way, why not do it. But, I swear If I could write fiction, I would do that instead!” ◆ For more info, visit bastiendubois.com.

april 21

TOC

Tech Reviews L

Stan Winston School of Character Arts

et’s step away from strictly animation and visual effects, at least from a digital perspective, and turn to the practical side of things: The special effects, the creatures, the miniatures and the puppets. In this world of CG domination, we sometimes lose track of our brothers and sisters who make things for real. These exceptionally talented artists have skills that have been groomed through apprenticeships and experience.

So, where would you go to learn these skills? If you go down to Best Buy and buy a computer, you have taken your first step to being a digital artist. All that is required now is 10,000 hours working on the computer. To actually fabricate a thing, there is a lot more involved. There is clay, silicone, machining metal, armature forging, and just so much more than popping open ZBrush and starting to sculpt. Fortunately, the late Stan Winston — one of the kings of practical effects — has a namesake online School of Character Arts, which has hundreds of hours of training material covering everything from design to prosthetics to animatronics to wigs(!) to sculpting and beyond. The courses are taught by people who are actually doing it in films and television, and who are using the latest techniques. The brain trust is vast. Similar to something like Pluralsight, you can search around for the exact tutorial you are looking for, but the real power lies in the Pathways, where you are led through a series of courses as a deep dive into a particular subject: Design, Fabrication, Eyes, Teeth, Mold Making, Model Making, Filmmaking, etc. I love this approach because you are learning it as a skill and a craft, rather than simply solving a problem. Additionally, the community on the School’s april 21

site is active and and very responsive. The instructors interact with the students when they have questions. The students interact with each other. So, the knowledge isn’t coming strictly from the tutorials: You are getting feedback from your peers, just like school. In fact, I am a member of the School not because I want to change my career and be a special effects (as opposed to visual effects) artist, but rather because I need to know what these guys can (and cannot) do, so that we can work together to benefit from each other’s strengths. The knowledge also allows me to understand the language of their world so I can better communicate. For those on the digital side of things, you can learn a lot from actually making real things. Sculpting in clay gives you more understanding when sculpting in ZBrush. Designing wigs provides insight into grooming hair in XGen. Fabricating real clothes helps Marvelous Designer artists. Painting real miniatures helps texture artists. Not to mention how digital models work with 3D printers that provide pieces for the fabrication of special effects stuff, as well as the computer assistance when designing animatronics. There is much to learn! Website: stanwinstonschool.com Price: $19.99 (basic monthly), $59.99 (premium monthly), $359.94 (yearly)

FXPHD

t’s been a good five years since I’ve last done a review on FXPHD, and I have continued to be a paying member since then because I feel that the content is so good for VFX artists who are trying to up their game. FXPHD works on a subscription model, where you have access to nearly all of the courses at any time for a monthly fee. These courses range from relative beginners to artists who have been in the field for years. And they span across a plethora of techniques (compositing, modeling, sculpting, animation, FX, environments, matte painting, editing, tracking, you name it) and across even more software packages (Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Cinema 4D, After Effects, ZBrush, Photoshop, Katana, Clarisse, RenderMan, etc., etc.,etc.). There are also deep-dive masterclasses for Color Grading in Resolve for an additional cost. But believe me, they are worth it. Frankly, I feel that every VFX artist should go through at least a rudimentary course in color grading.

VFX VFX

by Todd Sheridan Perry

The courses are all taught by instructors who have been in and are still in the industry, using the same techniques in actual production workflows that they are teaching you. My favorite is probably Victor Perez, a VFX supervisor in Mexico whose knowledge is deep and his presentation is expansive. If you want to know more about pulling greenscreens than just throwing on a keylight and sampling the color, Victor explains not just what tools to use, but why — on a mathematical level — you choose to use those tools. And this kind of approach spans the courses — it’s not just about the how, it’s about the why. Yes, the content is fantastic. Your FXPHD subscription provides you with a VPN license to many of the software packages you are learning about. Houdini and NukeX (as well as most other software) hold a hefty price tag if you are just starting to learn and you aren’t yet making money with your skillset. FXPHD provides you with the tools to learn. There are plenty of training sites on the internet, but I can’t think of any off the top of my head that provides this kind of benefit.

Recently, I supervised a 360 video shoot, which I knew nothing about. FXPHD was my first stop to get up and running on the techniques before the project got underway and I needed to at least look like I knew what I was doing. One of the courses partially taught by VFX veteran Scott Squires. (Look him up! He’s done a few things.) So whether you are just starting out, or whether you are a years-long veteran, the industry never stops changing, and we never stop learning. FXPHD has been and will continue to be one of my primary sources to keep my skill set ahead of the curve. Website: fxphd.com Price: Starting $79.99 (monthly) Todd Sheridan Perry is an award-winning VFX supervisor and digital artist whose credits include Black Panther, Avengers: Age of Ultron and The Christmas Chronicles. You can reach him at todd@teaspoonvfx.com.

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

VFX VFX

TOC

Doing the Locomotion VFX supervisor Geoff Scott leads us on a tour of the visual highlights of the second season of Snowpiercer. By Trevor Hogg

he political and social implications of the class structure as well as the impact of global warming are the prevailing themes in the post-apocalyptic French graphic novel Le Transperceneige (Snowpiercer) by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. The events of the book, Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 English-language feature adaptation and the TNT/Netflix series version (which debuted in 2020) take place onboard a high-speed train consisting of 1,001 cars and 3,000 passengers representing the remains of humanity travelling through a frozen world. The VFX team working on the second season of the series were tasked with exploring more of the wintry landscape of the project, leading to the number of visual effects shots being doubled to 2,400. “In the first season, we were cautious and used our exterior train shots mostly for establishers,” explains production VFX supervisor Geoff Scott (Wynonna Earp), who worked once again with exec producer Graeme Manson (Orphan Black). “Sometimes there would be a sto-

ry-driven event, like the avalanche in Episode 102. You would have the stuff happening underneath the train in Episode 106. And at the end of Episode 110, with Big Alice’s connector car. Aside from that, our story was more about the people inside the train. We’re doing a lot more with the outside in Season Two.” The lion’s share of the VFX centered on the window shots, which inadvertently enabled Scott to overcome a phobia. “At the end of Season One, I spent two days in a helicopter flying in and around the Rockies to get profiles of the mountains,” recalls Scott. “Years ago, on another show, I almost fell off a building, and since then I’ve been afraid of heights. Now, I’m good with heights again! We have a lot of plate elements. We basically had a rolling environment that we could render 270 degrees. We also took pieces of CG environments and handed them to our internal team to composite. These little chunks were rendered at 8K and popped into the windows as a soft-focus-backgrounds. We would build environ-

ments specific to the shots and set up specific cameras.”

No Denying Climate Change Throughout the series, viewers will discover that the Earth is going through yet another climate change. “There are subtle things that we are doing in the sequences,” states Scott. “You will notice that we’re having more snow in the atmosphere than in Season One.” The overlap in production between Seasons One and Two also enabled the team to make story continuity corrections. “We actually went back to Season One and removed 90 percent of the snow floating through the air so it felt more like snow that had been kicked up by Snowpiercer and Big Alice,” says Scott. “Because we had the luxury of still having those shots open in progress, we were able to quickly fix a problem that would have had people going, ‘I saw snow in Season One.’” A close-up shot of a snowflake serves as a visual transition. “Because more loose snow is

www.animationmagazine.net 30

TOC

april 21

TOC

VFX VFX

and out of windows. We ended up adding quite a bit more snow flurries to give a sense that you’re moving through space with the train. That was an element I was glad we are using as much as we are. It also helps to tell the story that there is snow in the air.”

Silver Express: The new season of Snowpiercer offers many visually stunning sequences, including full shots of the mysterious train as it traverses the curvature of the Earth.

A Signature Character

‘Years ago, on another show, I almost fell off a building and since then I’ve been afraid of heights. Now, I’m good with heights again! We have a lot of plate elements. We basically had a rolling environment that we could render 270 degrees.’ — Production VFX supervisor Geoff Scott

around, there are implications that it has snowed in areas, and snow has blown and drifted,” notes Scott. “It’s not a character per se, but we’re reenforcing the story that there is something going on.” It was important to give a sense of what life used to be like in the outside world. “We wanted to find ways to incorporate the environment, not just as a, ‘Look there is a thing over there.’ But to actually shoot through it. It’s not just something on the horizon. It’s like we are here. Toward the end of Episode 201, we’re in an industrial farming complex. You can see a car sticking out here, and a piece of a tractor and a house. It also helps to show what a dead world Snowpiercer is living in.” The new season also showcases an interesting weather tracking device that allowed for a creative first for the series. “It’s the first time you can actually see the entirety of Snowpiercer in a shot,” offers Scott. “Snowpiercer goes around the curvature of the Earth. Now we april 21

have added a couple of kilometres on the back of her [with Big Alice], it’s even more. We figured out last year how high in the air we needed to be to see the end without any atmosphere. We are exactly 35,000 feet in the air and on a GoPro 8mm lens to give the curve feeling. We’re about the height of a passenger airplane. Then you get that little silver line of the entirety of Snowpiercer.” According to the VFX supe, conveying the proper size, scale and speed of the train was critical. “If Snowpiercer goes too fast then it looks like a miniature,” remarks Scott. “If it goes too slow, it loses its power. We took a lot of what we designed last year and asked, ‘What do we think works in Season One? Let’s make sure that we continue with that.’ We also worked with a new producing director, Christoph Schrewe [Berlin Station], and his shot aesthetic presented different opportunities where we were able to be higher, and come in

“There was an aesthetic that I always liked which was the diesel pump which has that 1930s, 1940s and 1950s aesthetic,” states Scott. “There was one locomotive in particular called The Mercury that I really liked. That is actually a throwback to the graphic novel which has a similar bold nose shape to it. Our design team in Toronto played around with ideas. Then, I hired concept artist Alex Nice and his first pass was almost perfectly the train. We subsequently designed each car for the exterior like a luxury dreamliner with a vintage quality look.” The season also includes a second train which carries the mysterious industrialist Joseph Wilford (Sean Bean), who seeks to reclaim Snowpiercer. “When it came to Big Alice, we always knew that she was lurking in the background,” says Scott. “The connector car was designed as a windowless Snowpiercer and we put the big W onto it; that was how we could echo there and also hide the fangtooth opening grabbing mechanism. I love that marketing keeps using that shot. For the exterior, we went to our concept artist Alex Nice and said, ‘What we need is a bigger, more powerful prototype engine. It has to have a similar aesthetic to Snowpiercer. The design key words we have been given are: boxy, big, and barn.’ We widened it out and added a couple of more windows. We handed our exterior to our production designer Stephen Geaghan [Another Life] and he had to retrofit all of the interior windows.” Scott points out that audiences will see a variety of new cars throughout the season. “We have a car that comes into Episode 209 that is a bit fantastical,” reveals Scott. “The aquarium car makes an appearance again and it looks even better this season. In Episode 210, there is a sequence that I want to be in the room when people see it for the first time. I’m happy to be back for a third season and to see where we end up. I’ve got the first couple of scripts and they’re crazy exciting.” As for the fate of Sean Bean, who is known for his numerous death scenes in TV shows and movies, Scott is tight-lipped. He responds, “You have to watch the show!” ◆ Snowpiercer Season 2 airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET), 8 p.m. (CT) on TNT and Tuesdays on Netflix.

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

A D ay I n T he L ife Jun Falkenstein, an acclaimed animation director and storyboard artist, who has worked on movies such as Tigger Movie, 9 and The Lion King, is currently directing the popular new show Stillwater (Gaumont/Apple TV+). We were thrilled when she invited us to share a typical day in her busy life:

Good morning! It’s time for coffee while downloading all the dailies. The pandemic sure has changed the way we work.

Checking in to see if the kid has gotten to school on time. Oh, she has – good!

4 3 Morning breakfast grab by Taro the dog.

5 Time for lighting and color dailies review. They look great! Do we have any notes?

Lunchtime walk: My goal is to get some exercise and vitamin D. Taro’s goal is to pee in the greatest number of locations possible.

7 Time for a very serious and important meeting with series producer Cary Silver. Trust us, it’s very serious.

Dinnertime is usually the only meal the family eats all together. Hey, we’re busy!

Quick! I must do my animation notes before the end of the day!

Gotta keep my performance bass playing chops up, because someday the pandemic will end. Right?

www.animationmagazine.net 32

TOC

april 21

TOC

A D ay I n T he L ife

april 21 3

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

A D ay I n T he L ife

Cartoon Forum

20-23 September 2021 Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée

The European co-production forum for animated TV series > Over 950 animation professionals from 40 countries > Incl. 260 broadcasters and investors > Find co-producers, distributors and financing > Project submission: 10 May

www.cartoon-media.eu

www.animationmagazine.net 4

TOC

april 21

A MER IC A N

TOC

FIL M

W INNER

INSTIT UTE

TOP 10 TELEVISION PRO GR A M S OF T H E Y E A R

W R ITER S

GUILD

NOMINEE

AWA R D

BES T DR A M A SER IES

TOC

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION ®

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

I N

A L L

C A T E G O R I E S

I N C L U D I N G

B E S T A N I M AT E D F E AT U R E

“Sly wit, dazzling invention and a delicacy of feeling that approaches the sublime.” LOS ANGELES TIMES / Justin Chang

TOC

Education & Career Guide

Education & Career Guide From top: RISD student Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma’s Ciervo was the Gold animation winner of this year’s Student Academy Awards; Conceptual artwork from Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon); Artist at work, courtesy of Wacom.

“Computer animation is moving so fast that Toy Story looks really ropy now. Whereas there are handdrawn films from the 1940s that still stand up. Bambi still looks really timeless. And that’s because its language is the language of painting and illustration, rather than the language of the latest technology.” — Tomm Moore, director/producer, Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers

A n E d u c at i o n a l S u p p l e m e n t

2021 1

f o rwww.animationmagazine.net 2021 TOC

TOC

Education & Career Guide

BRING YOUR STORIES TO LIFE. For more than half a century, Sheridan has stood for excellence and innovation in animation education. Taught by dedicated professors with real industry experience, you’ll learn both traditional and contemporary approaches to animation and design. From nominees to award winners, our alumni and students are always at the forefront of the entertainment industry. Honours Bachelor of Animation | Honours Bachelor of Game Design Computer Animation | Digital Creature Animation – Technical Direction Game Level Design | Visual Effects

animation.sheridancollege.ca www.animationmagazine.net 2

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

Pandemic Academics Animation programs pivot to a new normal. By Ellen Wolff

orget those quaint images of college life, with students chatting amidst scattered notebooks and endless cups of coffee. During the COVID pandemic, academic life has had to be quickly re-imagined: drawing classes became Zoom-fests, while stop-motion stages fell silent. And the challenges continue — one rejiggered semester at a time.

No Hibernation Allowed: SCAD students collaborated virtually to produce the animated musical short Bearly last year. The project was directed by Cherry Zhou and produced by Cameron Brown.

Savannah College of Art and Design

“Last March, when the whole U.S. came to a standstill, we were just ending our winter quarter,” recalls Chris Gallagher, Animation Chair at SCAD. “We had to pivot very fast to all-virtual Zoom classes.” SCAD has offered eLearning to graduate students, but not undergraduates at campuses in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia. “For them, we adopted a virtual setting that was synchronous,” explains Gallagher. “Classes were taught at the usual time. It wasn’t a matter of, ‘Go watch my video.’” (Although sessions were archived for reference.) Gallagher admits that the synchronous model is challenging for the school’s foreign students. “We have some in China who wake up at 2 a.m. to take our classes. They want that connection, although they can watch the recordings later and learn asynchronously.” To help students adapt, Gallagher recommends that they switch to Zoom’s grid view during classes. “Instead of just looking at me. they can watch other people — and see who’s doodling. And I can tell who’s not paying attention.” As students get more comfortable,

‘We have students in China who wake up at 2 a.m. to take our classes. They want that connection, although they can watch the recordings later and learn asynchronously.’ — Chris Gallagher, Animation Chair, SCAD

they can allow teachers to take over their screens and provide hands-on critiques. But he notes that some -- especially freshman — need a greater sense of connection to jumpstart their college careers. “Remember, they’re just one step beyond high school.” For this reason, SCAD offers what Gallagher calls ‘hybrid classes,’ combining in-person and virtual instruction. For example, animation history and introductory courses are offered in 200-person auditoriums, but attendance is limited to 12 students. In the computer animation labs, 20-person sessions have been scaled down to 10, with every other computer monitor removed. Students can also log in remotely to access software like Nuke and Katana. Despite the pandemic, SCAD undergrads managed to complete a collaborative film called Bearly, which mixes 2D and 3D anima-

Bearly producer Cameron Brown

tion. “This year, we’ve pivoted to making a 2D film and a 3D film in parallel.” One discipline undercut by the pandemic was motion capture. “It’s on hold, in terms of students getting into the suit and learning how to calibrate it,” says Gallagher. “They can

2021 1

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide access a large library of data from past classes that they can use to learn the skills of retargeting and putting data into game engines.” Stop-motion classes were also hard-hit. “Some students were making maquettes and mailing them back and forth to their counterparts,” Gallagher recalls. Once SCAD’s fabrication equipment and shooting stages were reopened, students could reserve spaces – but never more than six at a time. Gallagher believes that overcoming these challenges has a silver lining: “Students will be ready to step into a world where the professionals have to work this way, too.”

California Institute of the Arts

When the pandemic shut down the CalArts campus in Valencia last March, its staff quickly suspended planning for the school’s famed Spring showcases of student films. They turned attention to something they’d never done before. “We ripped apart our labs and mailed computers and Cintiqs to all our students in the continental U.S.,” recalls Maija Burnett, who directs the Character Animation Program. “Our teachers only had a week to plan the rest of the term.” One year later, the school’s showcases of student films are still just streaming online, while plans for live screenings remain on hold. CalArts has developed a tech program where

students can request a laptop, iPad, stylus and all the software they need to work remotely. “So educationally, things have gone as well as possible,” says Burnett. “Although students are communicating a lot through Instagram and other channels, the social aspect of education has been harder. They miss being together.” Burnett, who also teaches Flash animation classes, continues to confront the challenge of mitigating ‘Zoom fatigue.’ “I know that three hours on Zoom isn’t a good idea. So I teach one hour with the whole class, and the rest of the time I hold small group meetings where individual students can share their screens and receive more personalized feedback.” As she mulled over ways to broaden the remote class experience, Burnett reached out to students attending Gobelins in Paris, which has a longstanding exchange program with CalArts. “We ended up meeting online Mondays at 9 a.m., which is 6 p.m. for them. We even had a student in Korea who stayed up really late!” Burnett expects that as this spring semester unfolds, the traditional opportunities for students to show their work to studios will improve beyond what was possible last year.

“In 2020, internships were really impacted because things shut down just as studios would normally be making their choices. This year, even though things are still virtual, students will be able to have interviews.” “I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of this pandemic, there are more opportunities.” She thinks that so many people being isolated in their homes has fed the growth of streaming shows and will grow the field of animation. “This has been a situation that we wouldn’t wish on anybody, but there are some positive aspects that we haven’t seen before.”

Ringling College of Art and Design

The challenges of teaching animation during the pandemic became really personal – very quickly – at Ringling, where about 80 percent of students live on its campus in Sarasota, Florida. “We were one of the earlier campuses to close in March,” says Jim McCampbell, who has guided Ringling’s Computer Animation Program for 25 years. “Then we worked all summer on our strategy for how we could deliver in the fall semester.”

‘We ripped apart our labs and mailed computers and Cintiqs to all our students in the continental U.S. Our teachers only had a week to plan the rest of the term.’ — Maija Burnett, Director of Character Animation, CalArts

CalArts’ 2020 virtual Showcase featured work by 37 students, including In the Deep by En Nelson-Correia (Film/Video BFA ’20); Staff from the School of Film/Video mailed students lab computers and Cintiqs when the campus closed last spring. (Image courtesy of Maija Burnett)

www.animationmagazine.net 2

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide University of Southern California

Ringling students Susan Huang, Stacy Moon and Nadya Sugiarto collaborated to make the award-winning short Gatcha! which follows a young Shiba Inu toy who lives inside a gachapon machine with his sensei.

‘Ringling issued each student a laptop and Wacom studio pro hardware, so they’re equipped to participate remotely. We use a system here called RGS that HP makes.’ — Jim McCampbell, Department Head of Computer Animation, Ringling

About two-thirds of the students returned to campus at that time, which is notable for a college that draws from 56 countries. Ringling issued each student a laptop and Wacom studio pro hardware, so they were equipped to participate remotely, reports McCampbell. “We use a system here called RGS (Remote Graphics Software) that HP makes,” he explains. “I understand that was the technology that NASA used to beam back images from the Mars mission. Students can log in and harness the power of that machine, which for us is 256 GB of ram. A student’s laptop becomes a conduit through which they could work as if they were here.” McCampbell, who teaches Senior 3D Animation, sees an interesting upside to remote learning. “Only one person at a time can talk, so everyone has to be more respectful.” Students logging in from Asia are preferring early morning classes, to avoid 3 a.m. start times, he notices. “To which I say, ‘You stay up all night anyway, so I don’t see the problem.’” Ringling’s small class sizes — averaging

seven students — make in-person, socially distanced learning feasible. “For 3D Animation, they have a choice of learning in-person or remotely,” McCampbell explains. “Story Development and Visual Development are taught only remotely. Of course, even if they’re on campus, they’re in their dorm rooms.” McCampbell is concerned that social distance can turn into emotional distance, and erode students’ enjoyment of Ringling’s artistic community. But he’s glad that technology allows many teachers to adapt their curriculum to the pandemic’s demands. “It’s not like we’re teaching cosmetology!”

USC’s location in the entertainment industry mecca of Los Angeles has always been a draw for fledgling artists worldwide. Sheila Sofian, a professor at the university’s John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts, has continued to teach students from freshman to senior year during this pandemic. “In the spring of last year, we had to switch to online classes in the middle of the semester,” she recalls. “The documentary animation class that I teach was making a collaborative film, and we had to finish it remotely.” Since Sofian’s students returned to home countries as far flung as China and Brazil, she had to juggle class times to accommodate their time zones. “Some teachers allow students to attend asynchronously, because we record our classes. But in my collaborative classes, they have to work together.” Like so many teachers, Sofian delved into learning more online tools herself. “No teacher had a summer last year! I had to figure out how to do a collaborative storyboard online, and how to record audio through Zoom.” She directed her students to ScreeningRoom.org to review their work and play it back frame by frame. She used Google Drive and Blackboard to post student work, and they messaged each other via Slack. Sofian also used breakout rooms on Zoom so the 15 students in her documentary animation production class could collaborate efficiently. Fortunately, Sofian discovered several international Facebook sites that offer ideas from

‘No teacher had a summer last year! I had to figure out how to do a collaborative storyboard online, and how to record audio through Zoom.’ — Sheila Sofian, documentary animation professor, USC

2021 3

Left, USC professors Mike Patterson and Candace Reckinger teach graduate students remotely via Zoom. Sundance Film Festival selection Forever by USC student Mitch McGlocklin incorporated point-cloud data representing artificial intelligence.

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide School of Visual Arts

USC grad Xi Wang (Jake)’s Metamorphosis was a festival favorite.

other teachers (sporting names like Pandemic Pedagogy and Higher Ed and the Coronavirus.) Sofian feels particular empathy for her senior students, who are trying to finish their final films and get seen by potential employers. She has signed these students up with alumni mentors and introduced them to pros who could of-

fer advice. “A lot of companies initially stopped offering internships, but they’ve slowly ramped back up. People in the animation industry are seeing opportunities. Remote technology is only getting better, and many companies are already working remotely. When you have restrictions, it forces you to be more creative.”

‘I thought I’d be shaking students’ hands in a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. I never imagined I’d be doing my speech in Minecraft!’ — Hsiang Chin Moe, Chair of BFA Animation Department, SVA

SVA student project Midnight Aquaroom. Below, SVA’s first-year drawing class taught virtually by Ruth Marshall over Zoom. One of the first virtual student rep meetings with (top left to bottom right) Mark Minnig, Kaylee Park, Julisse Tinoco and Lillie Delecuona showing off SVA merch.

SVA, in the heart of New York City, bore the brunt of the pandemic’s first wave in the U.S., and it arrived not long after Hsiang Chin Moe became Chair of the school’s BFA Animation program. “We went online last March 16, which gave our faculty and staff about two days to prepare,” she recalls. “We had to figure out how to help students who had gone home, or were in the process of going home.” Alongside her role leading a program with an enrollment of around 400 students worldwide, Hsiang teaches a thesis class for 86 students. “Since it is on Zoom, I’m not at the podium. The teacher is just another square, so it’s interesting that we appear like equals on this platform. I actually ended up having great discussions with students about camera angles!” “We made a decision that we’re not an online school,” says Hsiang. “We couldn’t just record our lectures and put them online. We really care about a synchronous component. So last summer, we took our schedules apart and created sections for classes of students in different time zones.” Since SVA’s 51 teachers in this program are typically working professionals, Hsiang admits, “It was really a great puzzle to solve.” “A silver lining of the pandemic is that we can have teachers working remotely from L.A. and thesis advisors from Canada and Europe,” says Hsiang. “That normally wouldn’t happen. We also have alumni reaching out to us and offering to talk online to our students.” At SVA’s Manhattan facilities, the animation labs remain open, but students can only request access to work for two hours at a time; then they have to leave for an hour while the air recirculates. Hsiang believes that having to pivot to other ways of working has prompted some unexpected solutions. “I wanted to offer a course that was hands-on, and an alumna from our Master’s Program came up with a four-week workshop for 2D and 3D animation students called Paper Story. She taught them how to make paper puppets using materials in their homes. She also brought in a character animator from Isle of Dogs, and showed the students an app for their phones called iMotion to make their puppets move.” At the end of her first year as Chair, Hsiang admits, “I thought I’d be shaking students’ hands in a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. I never imagined I’d be doing my speech in Minecraft! The pandemic taught us that the way we’ve been doing things for years isn’t the only way.” ◆ Ellen Wolff is an award-winning Southern California-based writer who specializes in animation, VFX and education.

www.animationmagazine.net 4

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

2021 5

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

ADVERTORIAL

Spotlight on The Los Angeles Film School

he Los Angeles Film School offers a level of prestige to its students, from the seasoned faculty members, many of whom are still actively involved with the entertainment industry in some capacity, to the exclusive industry events. Students work in a collaborative, yet challenging class environment so they can live, breathe and sleep entertainment. The Animation Program offers both online and campus curricula for students. The on-campus Bachelor of Science in Animation is designed to teach students the art, techniques, processes and technology that animators use in professional environments. Students may also choose between a concentration in Visual Effects or Game Art. The Bachelor of Science in Animation Online offers students the flexibility to study a chosen concentration in Visual Effects, Character Animation or Environments and Character Design. We caught up with Joffery Black, program director of animation and vfx at the school to learn about the latest offerings and classes for 2021 and beyond:

Can you tell us a little bit about how the LA Film School adjusted to the new COVID-era normal? In March, The L.A. Film School adjusted to online instruction for campus students to keep our community’s health and safety a top priority. The transition to online was easier for us since our school has years of experience in online education. The animation department was able to quickly adopt an online format and high-quality lab experience for our students as well. Students currently

faculty ratio is very balanced allowing the students to have a lot of hands-on instruction with all departments including Career Development. take their classes through live instruction and have access to industry guest speakers such as our Women in Animation Panel. What have been your most popular animation and VFX classes in the past few years? The Game Art courses have been increasingly popular within our animation degree program. Since the start of our program, Compositing has been a class of great interest. The animation and game art fields work closely together within production studios. Our students have the advantage of learning many facets of animation production through our diverse course offerings. Have you noticed more interest in animation since there is less live-action being produced now? Honestly, I haven’t noticed it at all. With social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, there is still a need for VFX shots. Streaming productions like the Mandalorian on Disney+ are showing a great need and interest for virtual productions.

What would you say sets the classes offered at The L.A. FILM School apart from similar ones in other programs? Our classes are set in an accelerated program that prepares students for real-life production environments. Our student to

What are your biggest challenges in the 2021-22 school year? One of the biggest challenges for the school year will be giving support for students who were affected by COVID-19. The L.A. Film School is working hard to provide students with one-to-one advising guidance they can lean on during these transitional times.

Do you help students place internships and jobs after graduation? We have a Career Development department that really focuses on helping students to find opportunities in the field. Their focus is on career development goals for students and grads with interview guidance, resume tips and networking opportunities. Internships are also a big part of that. Our location in Los Angeles helps us to have amazing connections with several companies to help our students each year. What kind of advice do you offer students who would like to be part of your program? If you practice your techniques using the software and tools we provide, you will do well in school and out in the entertainment industry. We do not have a portfolio requirement so please bring your passion and a commitment to work hard. For more info, visit lafilm.edu/programs/ animation-vfx

www.animationmagazine.net 6

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

2021 7

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

ADVERTORIAL

Making Gains in Spain In ten short years, Madrid’s U-tad has become one of the top higher education destinations in Europe.

en years ago, Spanish animation and vfx school U-tad was formed by the founders of Pyro Studios and Ilion Animation in order to offer higher education to students wishing to enter the technological world and to cover the demand of professionals in Spain. The school has become one of the leading European universities thanks to its teaching professionals, the high quality of its education and its strong connection with the digital industry. The institute offers a practical multidisciplinary program that has rewarded its students with many industry awards in recent years and has given them and U-tad global recognition. According to U-tad’s academic coordinator in the animation program Samuel Viñolo, the university provides in-depth focus on CG animation, 2D Animation, CG VFX, and Art for Games. “We also have degrees for Game Design and Programming, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physic and Digital Design, a wide variety of Master Programs such as Big Data, VR, AR or Simulation, VFX, Rigging & CFX, Character Design, 3D Animation, Game Art, Game Programming and Game Design as well as Production for Animation, VFX and Videogames,” he note.

Viñolo points out that the program is expanding because more and more international students are interested in studying animation in a highly professional environment, while enjoying the advantages of a multicultural and colorful city like Madrid.

“We now have our Animation and Games Design undergraduate bachelor’s degrees taught also in English,” he says. “In the last three years we have also started teaching our postgraduate master courses on-line to open to students who wish to study with us, but are unable to move to Spain for various reasons.”

Finding the Right Specialty

U-tad is open to a wide range of students who are interested in exploring their artistic and storytelling abilities and learning a wide variety of technical skills and the work processes needed in any international animation production. “Of course, we help students to select the right specialization which

is apt for their abilities within our Bachelor undergraduate degree which are either 2D, 3D/VFX or Game Art,” says Viñolo. “In the postgraduate master courses, the students have a very clear idea of their areas of specialization and capabilities. It really depends on the profiles and previews knowledge or skills they have based on the programs they want to study.” The programs allow students to be in contact with the animation industry through its teachers, masterclasses and events. In addition, the school also offers personalized follow-ups to track their skills and improve

their portfolios, as well as provide access to internships and job offers, even after completing their university education. According to school officials, currently 80% its animation and videogame students are employed by key studios around the world, mostly in the U.K., Ireland and Canada, and the other 20% are employed in Spain. When asked about U-tad’s most popular classes, Viñolo says the Project courses in the Animation Bachelor program are big favorites. “Students create a short film in the final two years of their program with the support of supervisors and production assistants,” he notes. “The videogame specialty has the same program in which students get to develop a game with students from different disciplines. They work very hard but they win many awards and get a high recognition and great employability.” Overall, the university’s courses stand out because they’ve been designed by professionals who know the needs of the industry and aim to prepare student to join top studios with the right experience and the best projects, reels or portfolios. Adds Viñolo, “We have the quality standards of a European university and we enjoy the recognition of the entire Spanish industry as well as international companies. We look for great passion, hard work and flexibility to adapt to a highly collaborative and constantly changing industry in our students. We want them to choose to turn their passion into their profession.” For more info, visit u-tad.com/

www.animationmagazine.net 8

TOC

2021

CMY

FINAL-u-tad-animation-magazine.pdf

19/2/21

13:09

TOC

Education & Career Guide

2021 9

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide

20 Tips on Building a Successful Portfolio

4 10 11 56 12 7 13 8 14 9 By Tom Sito

t this time of the year, many students and young hopefuls are putting together their portfolios. They hope to apply for academic programs, internships and their first professional jobs. As someone who has created portfolios, and reviewed many portfolios over the years, here are some tips from me and my colleagues:

1 2 3

Nobody likes making a portfolio. It is the creative equivalent of a proctology exam. That anxious, inadequate feeling you have while doing it is something we have all felt. It was years before I felt my portfolio really reflected my capability as an artist. Yet, it is something we all have to do. In this digital age, the word ‘portfolio’ has become an outdated generic term for your samples. Very few businesses expect a big, black, zippered folder stuffed with drawings anymore. Most reviews today are done online; on your application, you list a link to your samples page. Professional HR folks tell me you should make your link easy to access, and don’t make them have to deal with passwords. If you have too many impediments, they’ll just move on to the next candidate.

Hit Refresh: Job hunters should always update their website/portfolio with new work. Reviewers notice when the majority of work samples are older and have been viewed before. (Image: Max Keller’s online portfolio, maxikeller.com)

Have some samples of your life drawing from the model. Beyond your personal style, it is from these we can judge your raw talent and ability. I’ve seen people hired without a lick of animation, but their drawing was strong.

Do a page of human hands, the hardest thing to draw.

Don’t put you stuff in chronological order starting with your earliest animation. We don’t care about how far you’ve come. Show us what you can do now. Don’t draw famous characters like Mickey Mouse or Spider-Man. We pros don’t always agree on how to draw them correctly, so it is suicide for you.

Do a page of animals.

Have some examples of your sketchbook. Drawings from real life. Action poses from watching a sporting event. A dog catching a frisbee. People in a coffee shop. Edit your sketchbook — don’t leave in scribbles, grocery lists, friend’s phone numbers. “Sometimes, we get a thick portfolio with too many pieces. Choose your best artwork, limit to maybe 20 or less pieces.” — Silvia Hoefnagels.

Most reviewers are looking at 20-30 portfolios at a time. So, you got to impress us in the first 30 seconds. Put your best stuff first, a good piece at the end, and weak stuff in center.

If you have clips of films or animatics you made, keep them to around three to five minutes or less. No reviewer has time to appreciate a profound cinematic experience. After a few minutes they’ll skip ahead to the next piece.

“Clear facial expressions and hands in boards and animatics.” — Thomas Richner.

“Demonstrate a spectrum of styles or you will get typecast. Going in, if I know the show style I’m applying for, I frontload the portfolio with the closest thing I have (or create it). Have them understand instantly that you are the right person for their needs. That’s how I broke into

www.animationmagazine.net 10

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

19 15 20 16 17 18 the business. I knew what they were looking for and I did a bunch of appropriate samples.”— Lance Falk. “In everything, demonstrate your willingness and ability to go beyond the generic, obvious, easy creative solution. Put observation and thought into the work.” — Spyros Tsiounis.

It is good to post professional work you have done, but don’t rely on that alone. Some people made their portfolio entirely of one commercial project: the storyboards, the characters, the layouts. Show other stuff as well. Add a resume (CV, whatever). List places you’ve worked, even if they are not related to the arts — fry cook at Burger King, etc.

When you are done, show your portfolio to someone whose opinion you trust. Some of your pieces may be redundant. It is hard to edit your own stuff, because you’ve put blood in everything. You are too close to it.

Get a fresh eye.

Keep updating your portfolio with new stuff. Reviewers notice when a majority of your samples are 10 years or older or they’ve seen them before.

If you get rejected, just remember that ‘no’ does not mean ‘no forever,’ it means ‘no this week.’ Next month the whole working situation may change. I once applied to a studio that was about to close. But they didn’t tell me that. They gave me their standard rejection, “Work on your drawing,” etc. Don’t argue. Learn from the good critique you are given, implement their notes and try again. Success does not always go to the best artist, or the best hustler. Success goes to the stubborn.

lios. You can win if you believe in yourself. Just keep your eyes on the prize, and good luck! ◆ Tom Sito is an award-winning animation industry veteran and professor of cinematic arts at USC. His many movie and TV credits include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pocahontas, Shrek, The Prince of Egypt, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Osmosis Jones, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Fat Albert, He Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Superfriends and many others. Sito is the author of Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of Animation Unions, Timing for Animation and Eat, Drink, Animate: An Animator’s Cookbook.

To newcomers, the whole system may seem unfair, but please understand we all had to go through it. I was turned down by Walt Disney Studio twice. I got in on the third try, and ended my eight-year career there looking at portfo-

2021 11

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide

www.animationmagazine.net 12

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

2021 13

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide

2 0 2 1

NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA www.academyart.edu Phone: (415) 274-2222 Email: graduateschool@ academyart.edu Academy of Interactive Entertainment

Lafayette, LA & Seattle, WA, U.S.A. aie.edu Phone: LA: (337) 2056604; WA: (206) 428-6350 Fax: LA: (337) 232-0790; WA: (206) 428-6354 Email: lafayette@aie.edu, seattle@aie.edu The Animation Academy

Burbank, CA, U.S.A. theanimationacademy. com Phone: (818) 848-6590 Email: theanimationacademy@gmail.com The Animation Collaborative

Emeryville, CA animationcollaborative. com The Art Institutes

www.artinstitutes.edu Campuses Nationwide & Online Phone: (855) 784-1269; online inquiries (877) 872-8869

L i s t i n g s

and Cintiqs (70+ stations) The Bakshi School Silver City, NM thebakshischool.com Phone: (575) 534-9291 Email: info@thebakshischool.com Bloomfield College Bloomfield, NJ bloomfield.edu Phone: (973) 748-9000 Bowie State University

Bowie, MD bowiestate.edu Phone: (301) 860-4000 / 1-877-77-BOWIE Brigham Young University

Provo, UT, U.S.A. animation.byu.edu Phone: (801) 422-7321 Email: designdepartment@byu.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA in Animation through the College of Fine Arts and Communications BS Computer Science degree with an Animation Emphasis Number of students in animation program: 80 Cost of program: https:// finserve.byu.edu/studentsparents/tuition-feesdeadlines Head of animation & admission: Sam Nielson Time of year offered: Fall Semester Application deadline: June 1 Equipment available: Four labs with workstations

California College of the Arts

San Francisco & Oakland, CA cca.edu Phone: SF (415) 703-9500, Oakland (510) 594-3600; (800) 447-1ART California College of the Arts

San Francisco & Oakland, CA cca.edu Phone: SF (415) 703-9500, Oakland (510) 594-3600; (800) 447-1ART California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

Valencia, CA calarts.edu Phone: (661) 255-1050 or (800) 545-2787 Email: admissions@ calarts.edu California State University Fullerton

Fullerton, CA fullerton.edu/arts/art Phone: (657) 278-3471 California State University Long Beach

Long Beach, CA, U.S.A. www.csulb.edu Phone: (562) 985-4145 (admissions) Email: animation@csulb. edu Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA, BA, MFA. Number of students in animation program: 201

Cost of program: Resident: $6,846. Non-resident: $10,296. (2020/2021 Academic year) Time of year offered: Spring & Fall semester Application deadline: December 15 Equipment available: Two computer labs designed for Animation Program with iMacs, Cintiq, and renderfarm. 3D printers and VR devices are available at the school library. California State University Northridge

Northridge, CA csun.edu Phone: (818) 677-1200 Cañada College

Redwood City, CA, U.S.A. canadacollege.edu/digitalartanimation Phone: (650) 306-3330 Email: naasp@smccd.edu Chapman University

Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Orange, CA, U.S.A. chapman.edu/dodge Phone: (714) 997-6885 Fax: (714) 997-6885 Email: dodgecollege@ chapman.edu Degrees offered: BFA in Digital Arts Number of animation students: 110 Cost of program: $46,500 per year plus course fees Head of animation: Bill Kroyer (Prof., Director,

Digital Arts Program) Admissions coordinator: Jessica Houston (jhoustn@chapman.edu) Time of year offered: Spring and Fall Application deadline: Spring regular admission: Oct. 15; Fall admission: Freshman Early Action (non-binding): Nov. 1, Freshman Regular Admission: Jan. 15, Transfer Regular Admission: March 15 Equipment available: The Digital Media Arts Center (DMAC) is one of the best-equipped facilities in the nation, featuring a “virtual stage” with Unreal Engine-enabled LED wall, a 4K stereo projection 110-seat theater, a VFX lab with dual monitors and 4K stereoscopic workﬂow, and a North-lit art studio with benches, sink and model stand. The Animation Lab features a 4K workﬂow. Each of the 24 stations has a traditional backlit animation disc with ACME pegs and adjustable board, as well as a 22HD Cintiq tablet on adjustable arm, usable as a drawing board or monitor. The instructor has a Cintiq, software for doing interactive “dailies” on student tests, a 2K projector for reviews. Students have 24/7 access (with online reservation capability) for 10 individual private study suites,

www.animationmagazine.net 14

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide each equipped with larger Cintiqs, dual monitors, stereo speakers for premixing, ﬂatbed scanners, and “down shooter” camera stands for 2D animation tests. DMAC workstations feature over 55 different software licenses, including Maya, 3ds Max, Toon Boom, After Effects, Mari and Nuke. Additional notes: Chapman’s proximity to “Silicon Beach” has made the Gaming Minor an awardwinning program. The new VR/AR minor covers the latest breakthroughs in emerging technologies. Dodge College has exceptional industry connections. Students tour Southern California’s major facilities, including Disney, DreamWorks, Blizzard, FrameStore, etc. Dodge College hosts the industry’s top talent almost weekly, featuring lectures and presentations of unreleased material and personal interaction with the students. That list has included Brad Bird, Andrew Stanton, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Andreas Dejas, Rob Minkoff, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, Mark Andrews, Don Hahn, Randy Cook and Eric Goldberg. We host an open house for prospective students in the fall as well as host tours of our facilities throughout the year Monday-Friday. In our review process, we weigh the portfolio materials very heavily, but also evaluate whether applicants are a good fit for the overall University. Comprehensive resource of admission information available at www.chapman.edu/dodge/apply/ undergraduate/digital-

arts.aspx. Clemson University

Digital Production Arts Clemson, SC clemson.edu/dpa Phone: (864) 656-5577 Email: dpa@clemson.edu Cleveland Institute of Art

Cleveland, OH cia.edu Phone: (216) 421-7000

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL cod.edu Phone: (630) 942-2800 Email: campuscentral@ cod.edu Columbia College

Interactive Arts & Media Chicago, IL iam.colum.edu Phone: (312) 369-7750 Email: admissions@ colum.edu Columbus College of Art & Design

Columbus, OH ccad.edu Phone: (614) 224-9101 Email: admissions@ccad. edu Daemen College

Amherst, NY, U.S.A. www. daemen.edu/academics/ areas-study/visual-andperforming-arts/animation-bfa Phone: (800) 462-7652 Fax: (716) 839-8229 Email: admissions@daemen.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA in Animation; VFX Certificate Number of students in animation program: 75 Cost of program: $30,360 Head of animation: Mike Jones Head of admissions: Austin Brass Time of year offered: Fall for first year students, Fall or Spring for transfer

students Application deadline: Rolling admission Equipment available: Three state-of-the-art animation labs running Maya, Harmony, Storyboard Pro, etc. All lab workstations have 16” Cintiqs. The senior lab has nine workstations with 21” Cintiqs. Plus a green-screen room, sound lab, stop-motion lab and render farm. Delaware College of Art & Design

Wilmington, DE www.dcad.edu Phone: (302) 622-8000 Email: admissions@dcad. edu DePaul University

Phone: (323) 265-8650 Edinboro University

Edinboro, PA www.edinboro.edu Phone: (814) 732-2000 Email: mgenz@edinboro. edu Elite Animation Academy

Orlando, FL eliteanimationacademy. com Phone: (407) 459-7959 Email: twest@eliteanimationacademy.com Emile Cohl Art Academy

Los Angeles, CA www.cohl.art Phone: (323) 315-2323 Email: contact@cohl.art

College of Computing and Digital Media Chicago, IL www.cdm.depaul.edu Phone: (312) 362-8381 Email: admission@cdm. depaul.edu

Fashion Institute of Technology

DigiPen Institute of Technology

Ferris State University

The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School

Forsyth Technical Community College

Redmond, WA digipen.edu Phone: (866) 478-5236 Fax: (425) 588-0378 Email: outreach@digipen. edu

(DAVE School) Orlando, FL daveschool.com Phone: (407) 385-1100 Email: admissions@ daveschool.com

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA drexel.edu Phone: (215) 895-2400 / 1-800-2-DREXEL Email: enroll@drexel.edu East Los Angeles College

Monterey Park, CA elac.edu

New York, NY fitnyc.edu Phone: (212) 217-7999 Email: terry_blum@ftnyc. edu

Grand Rapids, MI ferris.edu/dagd Phone: (616) 451-4777 Fax: (616) 451-4740 Email: davidbaker@ferris. edu

Winston-Salem, NC forsythtech.edu Phone: (336) 723-0371 Fullerton College

Fullerton, CA art.fullcoll.edu Phone: (714) 992-7271 Email: art@fullcoll.edu Full Sail University

Winter Park, FL, U.S.A. / Online www.fullsail.edu Phone: (407) 679-6333 Email: admissions@ fullsail.com Degrees/Certificates

2021 15

offered: Undergraduate: Computer Animation Bachelor’s, Digital Arts & Design Bachelor’s, Game Art Bachelor’s, Graphic Design Bachelor’s. Graduate: Media Design MFA. Certificates: 3D Arts Undergraduate Certificate, Visual Design Undergraduate Certificate. Number of students in animation program: 1,496 Cost of program: On Campus: $742 per credit hour. Online: $546 per credit hour. Head of animation: Pete Bandstra – Program Director of Computer Animation Head of admissions: Thomas Lacroix – Vice President of Admissions Time of year offered: Rolling basis Equipment available: Full Sail’s Project LaunchBox™ program provides students with powerful technology to help create projects. All of their files, multimedia creations, and coursework are available at a fingertip 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Components: Apple MacBook Pro, 3 yr. Applecare Extended Warranty, LoJack – Theft Prevention 3 yr. Subscription, Adobe Creative Cloud (Download), Microsoft Office 365, Apple USB-C to USB Adapter, Belkin USB-C to Ethernet Adapter, Canon Flatbed Scanner (Online Only), iPad 7th Gen 32 gb WiFi (Online Only), Microsoft Windows OS (Download) (WIN), Nuke (Download) 30 mo. License, Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet, ZBrush (Download), Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Substance Designer, Adobe Substance Painter, Andersson Technologies SynthEyes, Autodesk Maya, www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide Head of animation: Campus: Joffrey Black; Online: Ken Norman Head of admissions: Ernesta Mensah Time of year offered: Monthly Application deadline: Year-round open enrollment Equipment available: Animation students receive a TechKit, which includes their own Alienware laptop preloaded with Autodesk Maya, Pixologic ZBrush and Nuke.* (*Specific gear/gear info subject to change.) Additional Notes: The Los Angeles Film School, located in the heart of Hollywood, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), VA-approved, and offers entertainment-focused Bachelor of Science degrees in Animation, Audio Production, Digital Filmmaking, Entertainment Business, Film Production, Graphic Design, Media Communications and Writing for Film & TV as well as Associate of Science degrees in Audio Production, Music Production, and Film. The L.A. Film School has been an academic leader in the entertainment community since 1999. The school’s goal is to equip every student with the necessary skills they need to succeed in this industry. Whether students choose to take classes online or on campus in Hollywood, the school trains the next generation of creative professionals. Students thrive in an experiential environment under the instruction of seasoned faculty members, many of whom are

still actively involved in the entertainment industry. The L.A. Film School provides a collaborative, yet challenging environment for students so they can live, breathe and sleep entertainment – and a network of like-minded classmates who might turn into future colleagues down the line. Each discipline offers curricula designed to provide students with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and industry connections necessary to succeed in the rapidly changing landscape of the entertainment business.

www.animationmagazine.net 16

2021

Autodesk Motionbuilder, Motion Analysis Cortex, Pixar RenderMan, Pixologic ZBrush, The Foundry Nuke. Gnomon

Los Angeles, CA gnomon.edu Phone: (323) 466-6663 Email: admissions@ gnomon.edu Grossmont College

Digital Art Program El Cajon, CA grossmont.edu Phone: (619) 644-7000

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University

Plano, TX smu.edu/guildhall Phone: (214) 768-4278

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA hampshire.edu Phone: (413) 549-4600 Email: admissions@ hampshire.edu

Laguna College of Art + Design

Laguna Beach, CA, U.S.A. www.lcad.edu Phone: (949) 376-6000 Fax: (949) 376-6009 Email: admissions@lcad. edu Degrees/Certificates offered: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): Animation, Drawing + Painting, Drawing + Painting with Illustration Emphasis, Drawing + Painting with Sculpture Emphasis, Entertainment Design, Experimental Animation, Game Art, Graphic Design + Digital Media, Graphic Design + Digital Media with Action Sports Emphasis, Graphic Design + Digital Media with Illustration Emphasis, Illustration. Number of students in animation program: 210 Cost of program: $33,600/

TOC

year Head of animation: Dan Boulos Head of admissions: Christopher Brown Time of year offered: Fall and Spring Application deadline: Rolling Additional notes: Create convincing, feature-quality animation of original characters that allows personality and emotion to dictate unique acting choices, expressions and movement. Pitch stories clearly and succinctly, showing an understanding of structure and character and the ability to elevate the material by incorporating group critique. Demonstrate effective communication skills necessary for collaboration in group productions. Demonstrate competence in filmmaking disciplines such as directing, screenwriting, editing, sound design and cinematography. Character Design & Storyboarding for Limited Animation | 2D Digital Puppetry & 2D Paperless Animation | Show Design & Series Design | 3D Modeling and Animation | Stop-Motion | New Media Authorship Lansing Community College

Lansing, MI lcc.edu Phone: (517) 483-1957; (800) 644-4522 Email: LCC-Recruitment@ lcc.edu Lesley University

Cambridge, MA lesley.edu/animation Phone: (617) 868-9600 Email: admissions@lesley. edu

Living Arts College

Raleigh, NC livingartscreativity.com Phone: (919) 488-8504 Email: school@livingarts-college.edu Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art

Van Nuys, CA laafa.edu Phone: (818) 708-9232 Email: contactus@laafa. org The Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, CA, U.S.A. / Online lafilm.edu Phone: (323) 860-0789 Email: info@lafilm.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: Campus: Associate of Science in Film, Associate of Science in Music Production, Associate of Science in Audio Production, Bachelor of Science in Animation and Visual Effects, Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business, Bachelor of Science in Audio Production, Bachelor of Science in Film Production. Online: Associate of Science in Music Production Online, Bachelor of Science in Digital Filmmaking Online, Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business Online, Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design Online, Bachelor of Science in Animation Online, Bachelor of Science in Music Production Online, Bachelor of Science in Writing for Film and Television Online, Bachelor of Science in Media Communications. Number of students in animation program: 500+ between campus and online Cost of program: Campus: $87,120; Online: $64,300

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA sftv.lmu.edu Phone: (310) 338-2700 Email: sftv_info@lmu.edu Lynn University

www.lynn.edu Phone: (561) 237-7000 Email: admissions@lynn. edu Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN, U.S.A. www.mtsu.edu/programs/ animation Phone: (615) 898-5196 Fax: (615) 494-8694 Email: Kevin.McNulty@ mtsu.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: B.S. in Animation Number of students in animation program: 203 Cost of program: $9,306 in-state/$28,606 out-ofstate for academic year tuition; in-state tuition available in certain states through the Academic Common Market (mtsu. edu/acm) and major discount offered to qualifying students in the Regional Scholars program (mtsu.

TOC

Education & Career Guide edu/regionalscholars). Head of animation: Kevin McNulty Head of admissions: Linda Olsen, Undergraduate Admission Director (Linda. Olsen@mtsu.edu) or admissions@mtsu.edu Time of year offered: Semester-based, fouryear Bachelor of Science degree. Application deadline: Fall applications are accepted through July 1 (must submit all admissions materials by December 1 for freshman guaranteed academic scholarships and February 15 for transfer guaranteed academic scholarships for the following fall). Spring applications are accepted through December 15. Equipment available: Multiple computer animation labs with high-end computers (Boxx, Dell, and Mac), render farm, 24-inch Wacom Cintiq Pros, DSLR cameras, 4K cameras, light kits, drone cameras, audio equipment, greenscreens, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, Hololens, Magic Leap, Virtuix Omni, large-scale LED video wall systems, production studios, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox, Arnold, RenderMan, Adobe CC software, Unity, Red Giant Suite, Cinema 4D, Substance Painter, Substance Alchemist, Substance Designer, Dragonframe, Krita, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Ross XPression CG & Graphics System, and SyncSketch. Additional Notes: MTSU’s Animation program was one of the first in the nation and is ranked among the best in the U.S. at a public school or university. An on-campus ACM SIGGRAPH Student Chapter is only one of

16 in the world. Other relevant student organizations include the MTSU eSports varsity league, AR/ VR Club, Film Guild and Cinema Club. Students have full access to LinkedIn Learning, faculty-led extracurricular programs, collaboration with outside clients, opportunities at worldwide competitions and conferences, and portfolio reviews. The program is NASAD and SACS accredited. MTSU alumni have worked for the likes of DreamWorks Animation, Blue Sky Studios, Industrial Light and Magic, Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Rhythm and Hues, and Sony Pictures Imageworks, including an Oscar winner. A Studio Art minor is required for all majors. Students progress through advanced digital tools and techniques for careers in 3D animation, 2D animation, motion graphics, and visual effects in films, series, video games, and more. Rated among the best colleges in the U.S. by Princeton Review, Middle Tennessee State University is located in the Nashville metropolitan area. Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN mcad.edu Phone: (612) 874-3700; (800) 874-6223 Email: info@mcad.edu New York Film Academy

New York, NY nyfa.edu Phone: (212) 674-4300; (800) 611-FILM Fax: (212) 477-1414 Email: film@nyfa.edu

New York Institute of Technology

New York, NY www.nyit.edu/programs/ digital_art_design Phone: (212) 261-1508; (800) 345-6948 Email: admissions@nyit. edu New York University Tisch School of the Arts UGFTV-Animation

New York, NY, U.S.A. tisch.nyu.edu/film-tv/ animation-area Phone: (212) 998-1779 Fax: (212) 995-4062 Email: john.canemaker@ nyu.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: Bachelors in Fine Arts Number of students in animation program: 1,165 students Cost of program: $60,282 yearly tuition Head of animation: John Canemaker Head of admissions: Patricia Decker Time of year offered: Fall/J-term/Spring/Summer Application deadline: November 1 through January 5 Equipment available: Equipment: Cintiq Pro 13” and 16”, Mobile Studio Pro 13” and 16”, Canon 7D cameras and a selection of lenses, Lowel omni light kits, Inkie lights, Fluid head tripods, Oculus headsets and controllers, Samsung Gear VR headsets. Software: Adobe Creative Cloud CC, Toon Boom Harmony 20, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 7, Dragonframe, Autodesk Maya, Pixologic ZBrush, Foundry Nuke, Houdini Online services, Cinema 4D Studio. Plugins: Marvelous De-

signer, Trapcode, Plexus, Paint & Stick, Epic Games Unreal Engine, Chaos Software V-Ray, e-on VUE. Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI art.nmu.edu Phone: (906) 227-2194 Email: art@nmu.edu

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, CA www.otis.edu Phone: (310) 665-6800, (800) 527-6847 Email: digitalmedia@otis. edu Pennsylvania College of Art & Design

Lancaster, PA pcad.edu Phone: (717) 396-7833; (800) 689-0379 Email: admissions@pcad. edu Platt College

San Diego, CA platt.edu Phone: (866) 752-8826 Fax: (619) 265-8655 Email: info@platt.edu Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A. www.pointpark.edu/ cinema Phone: (412) 392-3452 Fax: (412) 392-6132 Email: jtrueblood@pointpark.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA in Animation, BA in Cinema Studies with an Animation Concentration Number of students in animation program: 60 Cost of program: $41,480 Head of animation: Jonathan Trueblood Head of admissions: Troy Centofanto Time of year offered: Fall and Spring Application deadline:

2021 17

Rolling Equipment available: Two large animation studio classrooms, 20-25 PC workstations in each with XP-Pen 22” HD screens. Two editing labs with 20 Mac workstations. Software includes: Adobe Suite, Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Dragonframe. Five additional editing/animation suites. Voiceover and foley sound recording booth. Sound stage and full green screen stage. Two art studios for drawing and 2D courses. Pratt Institute

New York, NY pratt.edu Phone: (718) 636-3600 Email: info@pratt.edu Rhode Island School of Design

Providence, RI www.risd.edu Phone: (401) 454-6233 Email: fav@risd.edu

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, FL www.ringling.edu Phone: (941) 351-5100 Email: admissions@ ringling.edu

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY artdesign.rit.edu/schools/ film-animation Phone: (585) 475-6175 Email: sofa@rit.edu Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design

Denver, CO rmcad.edu Phone: (303) 753-6046, (800) 888-ARTS Email: admissions@ rmcad.edu

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide SAE Expression College

Emeryville, CA, U.S.A. expression.edu Phone: (510) 654-2934 Email: expression@sae. edu San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA cinema.sfsu.edu Phone: (415) 338-1629 Fax: (415) 338-0906 Email: cinedept@sfsu.edu San Jose State University

San Jose, CA sjsuai.com Phone: (408) 924-4340 Email: design@sjsu.edu SCAD

Atlanta & Savannah, GA, U.S.A.; Hong Kong scad.edu Phone: (800) 869-7223 Email: admissions@scad. edu School of Visual Arts

New York, NY sva.edu Phone: (212) 592-2100 Email: admissions@sva. edu School of Visual Arts

Division of Continuing Education New York, NY, U.S. sva.edu/ce Phone: (212) 592-2050 Email: ce@sva.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: Individual courses only Cost of program: Varies by course Time of year offered: Fall, Spring & Summer semesters Silver Drawing Academy

Sun Valley, CA silverdrawingacademy. com Phone: (818) 773-2440

Email: info@silverdrawingacademy.com Smorgasbord Productions Animation Collaboration

Los Angeles, CA smorgasbord.tenzeroseven.com/class Phone: (323) 825-1306 Email: projects@smorgasbordproductions.com Studio Arts

Los Angeles, CA studioarts.com Phone: (323) 227-8776 Email: office@studioarts. com Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA www.jefferson.edu Phone: 215-951-2913 Email: Jason.Kirk@jefferson.edu Universal Arts School

Hollywood, CA / Valencia, Spain / Online ua.school Phone: (424) 231-4053 / +34 6766 25243 Email: info@ua.school / spain@ua.school University of the Arts

Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. www.uarts.edu Email: admissions@uarts. edu Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA Animation, BFA Game Art Number of students in animation program: 123 Cost of program: $46,530 Head of animation: Karl Staven Head of admissions: Kelsey Alderman Time of year offered: Fall/ Spring Application deadline: Rolling Equipment available: Cintiq computer labs, 5,600-square-foot Center

for Immersive Media featuring a motion-capture stage and VR workstations, 3,500-square-foot digital and traditional Makerspace, stop-motion studios, downshooters/ traditional animation stands, sound design labs and recording studios, equipment room with cameras, microphones and other A/V Additional Notes: UArts offers both visual and performing arts, allowing the unique opportunity to collaborate with musicians, dancers, actors and other artists. University of California Los Angeles

School of Theater, Film & Television Animation Workshop Los Angeles, CA animation.filmtv.ucla.edu Phone: (310) 206-8441 Email: info@tft.ucla.edu University of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA usv.edu Phone: (800) 264-7955 University of Central Florida

School of Visual Arts & Design Orlando, FL svad.cah.ucf.edu Phone: (407) 823-2676 Fax: (407) 823-6470 Email: svadadvising@ ucf.edu University of Southern California

School of Cinematic Arts John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts Los Angeles, CA cinema.usc.edu/animation Phone: (213) 740-8358 Fax: (213) 740-4013 Email: admissions@ cinema.usc.edu

Vertex School

Orange County, CA vertexschool.com

Webster University

School of Communications St. Louis, MO webster.edu/communications Phone: (314) 968-7154 Fax: (314) 963-6924 Email: admissions@ webster.edu Woodbury University

Los Angeles, San Diego & Hollywood, CA mcd.woodbury.edu Phone: (818) 767-0888, (619) 235-2900, (8181) 252-5121 Email: info@woodbury. edu

CANADA Capilano University

North Vancouver, BC, Canada gradshow.com Phone: (604) 983-7516 Email: animation@capilanou.ca Degrees/Certificates offered: 2D Animation & Visual Development (Diploma), 3D Animation for Film and Games (Diploma), Digital Visual Effects (Diploma), Animation Fundamentals (Summer program, Certificate) Number of students in animation program: Total of all programs: 280 Cost of program: See www.capilanou.ca Head of animation: Dr. Ted Gervan, Dean Head of admissions: Kyle Vuorinen, Registrar Time of year offered: September - April Application deadline: March 1, 2021 Equipment available: Ratio of workstations to students is 1:1. Workstations and 22 - 24” Cintiqs

on Ergotron Arms. Latest software including Adobe Creative Cloud, Harmony, TVPaint, Storyboard Pro, Maya. Additional notes: Program was established in 1995 and has great success preparing artists for the animation industry. Alumni blog: capgrads. blogspot.ca. Centre for Digital Media

Vancouver, BC, Canada thecdm.ca Phone: (778) 370-1001 Email: admissions@ thecdm.ca Centre NAD

Université de Québec à Chicoutimi Montréal, QC, Canada nad.ca Phone: (514) 288-3447 Email: info@nad.com CG Masters School of 3D Animation & VFX

New Westminster, BC, Canada cg-masters.com Phone: (604) 553-2462 Email: info@cg-masters. com Collège Boréal

Sudbury, ON, Canada collegeboreal.ca Phone: (705) 560-6673, (800) 361-6673 Email: info@collegeboreal.ca Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Vancouver, BC, Canada ecuad.ca Phone: (604) 844-3800 Fax: (604) 844-3801 Email: admissions@ ecuad.ca ISART Digital

Montréal, QC, Canada www.isart.com Phone: (438) 382-7466 Email: contact@isartdigi-

www.animationmagazine.net 18

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide tal.ca LaSalle College Vancouver

Vancouver, BC, Canada www.lasallecollegevancouver.com Phone: (604) 683-2006 Email: admissions@lasallecollegevancouver.com Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art & Design

Toronto, ON, Canada maxthemutt.com Phone: (416) 703-6877 Email: outreach@maxthemutt.com Degrees/Certificates offered: Animation Diploma: Classical & Computer Animation & Production. Concept Art Diploma: Animation & Video Games. Illustration & Storytelling for Sequential Arts Diploma: Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Marketing Design. Fine Art Portfolio Development Summer Intensive Certificate Program. Number of students in animation program: 34 Cost of program: $11,850 CDN ($14,000 International) per year Head of animation: Tina Seemann Head of admissions: Max Rhoden Time of year offered: Diploma programs: Sept. - April; Workshops and Certificates: Year round Application deadline: Contact college by Feb. 15. Equipment available: Software: Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe/Substance Painter, Toon Boom Harmony, ToonBoom Storyboard Pro, NUKE (Foundry), Maya, ZBrush, Monkey Jam & Audacity (Freeware). Hardware: Industry-standard Intel based desktops with Nvidia Quadro production

graphics cards, dedicated render farm for 3D rendering using RenderMan and Arnold, Wacom tablets and Wacom styluses (on request from office) Additional notes: MTM also offers a variety of exciting digital, animation and art workshops and courses outside of diploma programs. Courses appeal to those from every background – from the complete beginner, to the occasional hobbyist, to the working professional. Offered for adults, teens and kids ages eight and up. NBCC MIramichi Campus

Miramichi, NB, Canada www.nbcc.ca Phone: (506) 778-6000 Email: collegeworks@ nbcc.ca Seneca College

Toronto, ON, Canada senecacollege.ca Phone: (416) 491-5050 Email: admissions@ senecacollege.ca Sheridan College

Oakville, ON, Canada www.sheridancollege.ca Phone: (905) 845-9430 Email: admissions@sheridancollege.ca Degrees/Certificates offered: Bachelor of Animation, Computer Animation post-graduate certificate, Digital Creature Animation-Technical Direction post-graduate certificate, Visual Effects post-graduate certificate Number of students in animation program: Degree: 546; Post-Graduates combined: 72 Cost of program: Bachelor of Animation: Canadian $9,733, International $28,492 per year; Computer Animation: Canadi-

an $12,376, International $23,641; Digital Creature Animation: Canadian $12,883, International $24,148; Visual Effects: Canadian $12,883, International $24,148 Head of animation: Interim Dean, Sean McNabney Head of admissions: Deanna MacQuarrie Time of year offered: Fall Application deadline: February 1 Equipment available: Maya, Toon Boom, Adobe Suite, ZBrush, Houdini, Cintiqs, PCs, stop-motion studio, sound studios Think Tank Training Centre

North Vancouver, BC, Canada & Online tttc.ca Phone: (604) 990-8265, (888) 990-8265 Email: info@tttc.ca Vancouver Animation School

Vancouver, BC, Canada www.vanas.ca Phone: (888) 677-8827 Email: info@vanas.ca Vancouver Film School

Vancouver, BC, Canada vfs.edu Phone: (604) 685-5830, (800) 661-4104 Email: admissions@vfs. com Vancouver Institute of Media Arts

(VanArts) Vancouver, BC, Canada www.vanarts.com Phone: (604) 682-2787 Fax: (604) 684-2789 Email: info@vanarts.com Degrees/Certificates offered: One-year diplomas and one week summer intensives: 2D/3D Character Animation, Game Art & Design, Visual Effects for Film & Television (see website for complete list).

Fully online versions of our full-time Game Art & Design and Visual Effects for Film & Television programs are new for 2021 and now being offered. Number of students in animation program: 50 Cost of program: Canadians: $26,750 CAD - $32,750 CAD; International: From $33,750 CAD - $38,750 CAD Head of animation: Wayne Gilbert Head of admissions: Alex Rusu Time of year offered: March and September intakes Application deadline: Rolling admissions (4-6 months before start date prefered but exceptions can apply) Equipment available: Students in all programs have their own personal workstation for the year. Animation programs/ hardware we use: Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Yiynova tablets, animation desks, pencil test & scanning station, sound booth. Game Art & Design: Maya, ZBrush, Unity, Unreal, MotionBuilder, facial motion capture. Visual Effects: Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Katana, RenderMan, V-Ray, greenscreen, DSLR cameras/camera rigs, lighting, studio space. Additional Notes: VanArts marked its 25th anniversary in 2020. All instructors have professional studio experience with employers such as: Disney, DreamWorks, Electronic Arts, ILM, Sony Animation, Digital Domain, Bioware, Mainframe Studios, Bardel Animation, Titmouse, Capcom, Vertical Motion, Image Engine, Zoic Studios and many others.

2021 19

LATIN AMERICA & CARRIBEAN Animation Campus

Montevideo, Uruguay / Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. / Vancouver, BC, Canada campus.uy Phone: +598 2712-6799 Email: info@campus.uy

Art&Cia Animation School

Meireles, Brazil arteciacursos.com Phone: +55 85-30237201; +55 85-98820-7775 Email: contato@arteciacursos.com BIOS

School of Design & Communication Montevideo, Uruguay & Online biosportal.com Phone: +598 2710-3373 Email: edco@bios.edu.uy Duoc University Chile

Santiago, Chile www.duoc.cl Phone: +2 2999-3862 Email: duoc@duoc.cl EIC-TV

International Film School of San Antonio de los Baños San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba www.eictv.org Excelsior Community College

Kingston, Jamaica www.ecc.edu.jm Phone: (876) 928-5070 Fax: (876) 938-0747 Email: socs@ecc.edu.jm ORT University Uruguay

School of Communication & Design Montevideo, Uruguay fcd.ort.edu.uy Phone: +598 2902-1505

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide University of the West Indies

Kingston, Jamaica www.mona.uwi.edu Phone: (876) 977-0898 Fax: (876) 977-1597 Email: carimac@uwimona.edu.jm Degrees/Certificates offered: BFA in Animation Number of students in animation program: 30 Cost of program: US$6,500 per year Head of animation: Chevonnese Chevers Whyte Head of admissions: Dr. Donovan Stanberry Time of year offered: Fall (August) Application deadline: January Equipment available: Computers, Cintiq drawing tablets, Intuos drawing tablets, industry-specific software Additional Notes: The BFA in Animation at the School of Media and Communications at the University of the West Indies, Mona is a generalist program. Students are exposed to drawing courses, 2D animation, 3D animation and motion graphics. Westbridge University

Mexico City, Mexico & Online westbridge.edu.mx Phone: +55 4161-1501; (650) 285-3200 Email: rp@westbridge. edu.mx

EUROPE Aardman Academy

Bristol, U.K. academy.aardman.com Email: academy@aardman.com Degrees/Certificates offered: Although the Aardman Academy’s Industry

Training – Stop Motion 1 course is not accredited to an educational body or institution, Aardman provide a training program that prides itself in teaching the highest standards of excellence in animation and is recognized within the film and animation industry for providing participants with the right foundations and helping them develop the practical skills needed for a career in animation. Number of students in animation program: 38 Cost of program: £2,750 Head of animation & admissions: Mark Simon Hewis Time of year offered: Rolling Application deadline: Rolling Equipment available: For each course, students will be sent all the specialist equipment needed. For Stop Motion 1 this includes a copy of Dragonframe, Dragonframe USB controller and a professional-grade Animation Toolkit armature. These will be posted before the course begins and are to be kept. Students will need a computer that can run Dragonframe and a camera to capture their animation (Dragonframe will work with a smartphone, as well as many cheap webcams and almost all DSLRs), desk or flat surface with the approximate dimensions of 60cm x 45cm, and are advised to have some sort of simple lighting and a way of keeping the camera locked down securely. This can often be simple household table lamps and a cheap tabletop tripod. On week one

of the course, the Studio Manager at Aardman will present a lesson on how to create a simple home set-up. Additional notes: The Aardman Academy is not a conventional path of education. Please get in touch with any questions. The Animation Workshop VIA University College Viborg, Denmark animationworkshop.via.dk Phone: +45 8755-4900 Email: taw@viauc.dk ArtFX School

Montpellier, Lille & Paris, France artfx.school.fr Phone: +33 4 99 77 01 42 Email: contact@artfx.fr Degrees/Certificates offered: Five-year Master programs with classes in French or English: 2D Animation, 3D Animation, CGI & Visual Effects, Game Art or Game Design (all accredited by the RNCP at Level 7); five-year or two-year Master program: Programming for Video Games & VFX. One-year Fine Arts Foundation program. Number of students in animation program: 744 Cost of program: Preparatory year - 5,200€ First year - 7,100€; Years 2-5 = 8,100€ Head of animation: Carine Poussou Head of admissions: Agathe Turlotte Time of year offered: September-June Application deadline: May 2021 Equipment available: Cameras: Canon 700D / 800D / 5D MK3, Sony Alpha 7SII, Blackmagic Pocket Camera 4K, Ricoh Theta, Blackmagic Ursa Mini, Canon C500.

Lenses: Canon L Series, Nikkor, Lumix Micro 4/3, Sigma Art. Lights: ARRI LEDs (M18 / M40 / SKYPANEL / L10-C), LED Panels, Mandarines, Multiblitz Flashes / LEDs, Elinchrom Flashes, Reflectors/Diffusers, Green/BlueScreens. Sound: Zoom H4N Recorder, Boom Poles, NTG2 Mics, Tie Mics. Tripods, Cranes & Rigs: Manfrotto Tripods, Ronin S / MX, Shoulder Rigs, Steadicam, Crane, Traveling, Slider. Others: Lilliput Monitor 28”, Rokoko Suit, Ninja Flame, Drone Phantom Pro 4, HDRI System, Smoke Machine. Additional notes: ArtFX is an award-winning animation, visual effects, video game, programming and cinema school. Since 2004, ArtFX has been training talents for the world-leading animation, visual effects and video game studios. Animum Creativity Advanced School

Málaga, Spain / Online www.animum3d.com Phone: +34 952 330 270 Email: hello@animum3d. com Degrees/Certificates offered: Advanced Online Courses: Cartoon Animation for Film and Video Games, 3D Character Animation for Video Games, Rigging 3D Characters with Maya, Lighting 3D with Maya and Arnold, Colorist with DaVinci Resolve, Digital Composition with Nuke for Film and Advertising Online Courses: Fundamentals of 3D Production with Autodesk Maya, Fundamentals of 2D Animation, Drawing Fundamentals

Online Masters: Animation - 3D Characters for Film and Video Games, Advanced 3D Production, Digital Drawing and 2D Animation, Composition and Colorist with Nuke and DaVinci Resolve, VFX and Composition with Houdini and Nuke, Composition and Lighting with Maya, Arnold and Nuke Extended Online Masters: 3D Character Modeling and Lighting for Film and Video Games, Rigging 3D Characters for Film and Video Games Online Workshops: Explode Your Reel - Creature Animation, Explode Your Reel - Character Animation Career Training: 3D Art in Video Games Number of students in animation program: 25 Cost of program: From €920 to €9,500 Head of animation: Roger Giménez Head of admissions: solicitudes@animum3d.com Time of year offered: Several calls per year. Application deadline: April 2021/ October 2021 Equipment requirements: Home computer which meets the indicated requirements of each software used in the training. Minimum 16GB of RAM. Software indicated in the agenda, installed on the home computer. Google Chrome internet browser to access the online platform. Webcam installed on computer. Headphones with built-in microphone. Internet connection via ADSL, with a minimum real speed of 3Mbps. Additional notes: Course comprises three modules of three months each: Module 1) Fundamentals of Animation, Module 2) Fundamentals of Hu-

www.animationmagazine.net 20

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide man Locomotion, Module 3) Advanced Human Locomotion. Animum is an authorized Autodesk Training Center, Adobe Certified Instructor and SideFX certified center. (animum3d. com/productos/curso-online-3d-maya-animacionvideojuegos) Arts University Bournemouth

Poole, Dorset, U.K. aub.ac.uk Phone: +44 1202-533-011 Email: hello@aub.ac.uk Ballyfermot College of Further Education

Dublin, Ireland www.bcfe.ie Phone: 00353 1 6269421 Fax: 00353 1 626-6754 Email: info@bcfe.cdetb.ie BAU Design College of Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain www.baued.es Phone: +34 93 415 34 74 Email: info@bau.cat Bellecour École

Lyon & Rhône, France www.bellecour.fr Email: info@bellecour.fr Phone: +33 478 929 283 Buckinghamshire New University

High Wycombe, England, U.K. bucks.ac.uk Phone: 01494-522-141 Email: admissions@bucks. ac.uk CDCFE

(Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education) Dublin, Ireland www.cdcfe.ie Phone: 01 848 1400 Fax: 01 848 1544 Email: coolock@cdcfe. cdetb.ie

Ecas

Bourg-Lès-Valence, France www.ecas.fr Email: info@ecas.fr Phone: +33 4 28 08 02 06 École MoPA

Arles, France www.ecole-mopa.fr/en/ home Phone: +33 (0) 4764 18322 Email: contact@ecolemopa.fr Degrees/Certificates offered: Ecole MoPA offers a five-year state-accredited advanced diploma in 3D animation divided into two Study Cycles. Study Cycle 1 (three years) provides acquisition of artistic and cinematographic foundations and 3D skills/mastery of the animated film production process. Drawing, sculpture, character design, film analysis, storyboard, scriptwriting, video, rigging, sound design, acting for animation, animation software (ZBrush, V-Ray, Nuke, Substance, Marvelous, etc.). Cycle 1 culminates in the production of a solo one-minute film by each third year student. Study Cycle 2 has students specialize in the fourth year on image production or 3D animation and they deepen their skills in those areas with tools such as Maya, Arnold, Yeti, Speedtree and Houdini. The fifth year graduation films are completed in groups, a project that spans the academic year. MoPA student films are regularly selected for and awarded prizes in international festivals such as Siggraph, The Academy Awards, VES Awards, Monstra, etc. Number of students in animation program: 220

Cost of program: E.U. students: 5,700-8,000 euros per year depending on cursus year. Non E.U.: 5,700-9,600 euros per year depending on cursus year. Head of animation: Anne Brotot Head of admissions: Catriona Murray Time of year offered: Academic year starts September and ends in June/July Application deadline: Entrance exam Jan.-Feb. Equipment available: The students at MoPA have studio-like equipment. Each student has a computer, loaded with 3ds Max, Maya, Nuke, Substance, Houdini, Marvelous and more. A render farm adds to the calculating power necessary to produce student works. Screening/conference room, sound recording master suite, image mastering suite, visual and plastic arts studio. École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques

(ESMA) Montpellier, Toulouse, Nantes & Lyon, France | Montréal, Canada www.esma-3d.fr Phone: (336) 763-0180 Email: contact@esmamontpellier.com Escape Studios

London, England, U.K. / Online www.pearsoncollegelondon.ac.uk/escape-studios. html Phone: +44 (0)203 441 1303 Email: admissions@ escapestudios.com Degrees/Certificates offered: Postgraduate qualification in 3D Animation Number of students in animation program: 8 per

intake Cost of program: London Campus: £17,995; Live Online: £15,450 Head of animation: Alex Williams Head of admissions: Antonella Manchisi Time of year offered: Start September 27, 2021 Application deadline: September 26, 2021 Equipment available: Access to Maya software license. Access to individual workstations during class time for those studying on campus. Access to workstations after hours for students to work on their projects. First come first served basis with a booking system. Remote access to workstation during class time for those studying live online. Filmakademie BadenWuerttemberg

Animationsinstitut Ludwigsburg, Germany animationsinstitut.de Phone: +49 7141 969 82851 Email: study@animationsinstitut.de IDEA Academy

Rome, Latium, Italy www.idea-academy.eu Phone: 0039 0642013420 Email: info@idea-academy.it L’IDEM Creative Arts School

Le Soler, France lidem.eu Phone number: +33 468 92 53 84 ISART Digital

Paris, France www.isart.com Phone: +33 1 48 07 58 48 Email: information@ isartdigital.com

2021 21

Lightbox Academy

Madrid, Spain www.lboxacademy.es Email: hablamos@lboxacademy.es Phone: +34 91 752 05 10 Luca School of Arts

Genk, Belgium luca-arts.be Phone: +32 89 30 08 50 Email: info.cmine@lucaarts.be Met Film School

London, U.K. metfilmschool.co.uk Phone: +44 20 8280 9119 Email: info@metfilmschool.co.uk National Film School

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dublin, Ireland iadt.ie Phone: +353 1 239 4000 Email: info@iadt.ie Odd School

Lisbon, Portugal odd-school.com Email: comunicacao@ odd-school.com Degrees/Certificates offered: Two year digital entertainment program. Number of students in animation program: 14 Cost of program: 576€ for month Head of animation: Ivan Carvalho Head of admissions: Pedro Gouveia Application deadline: September 2021 Equipment available: Computers, display pen, projectors, cameras Additional notes: Ranked first in the ranking of best schools in Portugal for digital entertainment. Fourth in Europe’s best school for digital entertainment. Twenty-fifth in the ranking of best www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide schools in the world for digital entertainment. Certified by Animation Career Review, 2020. Certified by Djert, Portugal. Pulse College

Dublin, Ireland www.pulsecollege.com Phone: +353 1 478 4045 Email: admissions@ pulsecollege.com RITCS

Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound Brussels, Belgium www.ritcs.be Email: animatiefilm.ritcs@ ehb.be RUBIKA

Valenciennes, France / Montreal, QC, Canada / Pune, India rubika-edu.com Phone: +33 (0)3 61 10 12 20 / (514) 271-0004 / +91 177 001 74 93 Email: contact@rubikaedu.com The Strzemiński Academy of Art Łódź

Łódź, Poland int.asp.lodz.pl Email: sw@asp.lodz.pl University of Gloucestershire

Cheltenham, U.K. www.glos.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)1242 714700 Email: ifriend@glos.ac.uk University of Luxembourg Competence Centre

Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg www.competence.lu/bda Email: bachelor@competence.lu Degrees/Certificates offered: The Bachelor in Animation is a two-year curriculum (four semesters, 120 ECTS), giving the students the means to master the 3D anima-

tion and VFX techniques in order to enter the animation and gaming industry in Luxembourg or on an international level. Theoretical courses are coupled with projectbased learning within a professional setting and a direct link to the industry through internship modules and lectures by industry professionals and artists with first-hand production and film-making experience. Number of students in animation program: 15 Cost of program: 200€/semester (semesters 3 to 6) Head of animation: Jacopo Armani Time of year offered: September to July Application deadline: April Equipment available: Dedicated lab with individual workstations running Maya, ZBrush, Substance, Unity, Adobe Creative Suite. Sculpture and life drawing workshop, equipment and material. Additional notes: The courses are offered at the Campus Belval of the University of Luxembourg.

tion Expert in Character Design Number of students in animation program: 400 Cost of program: $10,000 Head of animation: José Antonio Rodríguez Head of admissions: José García Romero Time of year offered: September-June Application deadline: September Equipment available: Cintiqs, PCs, +300 software tools, laboratory, photo studio, VR tools

U-TAD

Azpire Education Society

University of Technology, Arts and Design Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain u-tad.com Phone: +34 91 6402811 Email: international. admissions@u-tad.com Degrees/Certificates offered: Official BFA in Animation, Major in 2D Animation Official BFA in Animation, Major in 3D Visual Effects Official BFA in Animation, Major in Game Arts Master’s Degree in 3D Character Animation Master’s Degree in Rigging & Character FX Master’s Degree in VFX, Animation and Videogame Produc-

Vigamus Academy

Rome, Italy vigamusacademy.com Phone: +39 366-413-9390 Email: academy@vigamus.com

ASIA & PACIFIC Academy of Interactive Entertainment

Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide & Perth, Australia aie.edu.au Email: international@aie. edu.au

Pune, Maharashtra, India www.azpireeducation.com Phone: (911) 210-6555 Email: info@azpire.org Degrees/Certificates offered: B.Voc Degree in Animation Number of students in animation program: 80 Cost of program: Rs. 120,000 per year Head of animation: S. Saxena Head of admissions: Pradnya B. Time of year offered: Jan to July Application deadline: July 15 Equipment available:

Greenscreen Studio, Cameras, Computers Additional Notes: Apart from degree programs, Azpire also offers diploma programs and certificate programs in Animation, VFX, Digital Editing, UI/ UX, Digital Photography, Digital Marketing and Fashion Design. De La Salle College of Saint Benilde

Manila, Philippines www.benilde.edu.ph Phone: (632) 230-5100 Email: info@benilde.edu. ph The Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science Chung-Ang University

Seoul, Republic of Korea www.cauanimation.com Email: mcader@cau.ac.kr Griffith University

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia www.griffith.edu.au Phone: +67 7 3735 7111, International students +61 7 3735 6425 Email: international@ griffith.edu.au iNurture Education Solutions

Multiple Campuses, India inurture.co.in Phone: +91 80-4257-6666 Email: admissions@ inurture.com Lasalle College of the Arts

Singapore lasalle.edu.sg Phone: +65 6496-5000 Email: admissions@ lasalle.edu.sg Media Design School

Auckland, New Zealand mediadesignschool.com Phone: +64 9-303-0402 Email: info@mediadesignschool.com

Ngee Ann Polytechnic

School of Film & Media Studios Singapore www.np.edu.sg Phone: +65 64608430 Email: sch-fms@np.edu.sg North Metropolitan TAFE

Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia www.northmetrotafe. wa.edu.au Email: enquiry@nmtafe. wa.edu.au Degrees/Certificates offered: Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation & Visualisation), Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation & Visualisation), Certificate IV in Screen and Media (Animation & Visualisation), Certificate III in Screen and Media (Digital) Number of students in animation program: 60 Cost of program: AUS $15,000 Head of animation: Tanya Beeson Head of admissions: Tom Drummond Time of year offered: January and July Application deadline: Sem. 1 - January 5, 2021 | Sem. 2 - June 8, 2021 Equipment available: High-end PC labs for 3D Animation, high-end PC labs with Cintiq monitors for 2D Animation and drawing, sound recording studio, 18 camera MotionCapture Studio, Animation Studio for industry projects. Swinburne University of Technology

Melbourne, Australia | Sarawak, Malaysia www.swinburne.edu.au/ animation Contact: www.swinburne.

www.animationmagazine.net 22

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide edu.au/forms/study-connect-email Degrees/Certificates offered: Various levels of courses in the areas of Games and Animation: Bachelor of Animation, Bachelor of Games and Interactivity, Bachelor of Games and Interactivity/ Bachelor of Animation (Double Degree), Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation), Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation), Certificate IV in Screen and Media. Number of students in animation program: Various Cost of program: Please see degree/course webpages for cost details. Head of animation: Steven Murdoch Admissions: www.swinburne.edu.au/courses/ applying Time of year offered: Varied by course/degree, the primary student intake commences March. Application deadline: Please see admissions website. Equipment available: Windows and Mac workstations, Wacom Cintiq technology labs, StopMotion Animation studio and fabrication workshop. Up-to-date industry standard animation and creative software. A broad range of animation, film and creative equipment available for free student loan. Swinburne is an Adobe Creative Campus, all students receive a free Adobe Creative Cloud account. Swinburne is a Wacom Authorized Training Center, specialized training and product discounts for students.

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Learn 3D

Johannesburg, South Africa learn3d.co.za Phone: +27 11 262 5115 Email: info@aie.ac Minshar for Art

Tel Aviv, Israel www.minshar.org.il/ animation-studies Phone: (972) 368-7090 Fax: (972) 368-7090 Email: animation@minshar.org.il

ONLINE 3D Training Institute

New York, NY, U.S.A. 3dtraining.com Phone: (877) 746-4338 Email: info@3dtraining. com Academy of Animated Art

Online academyofanimatedart. com Phone: (614) 657-6715 Email: headmasters@ academyofanimatedart. com Animation Apprentice

London, U.K. www.animationapprentice.org Email: info@animationapprentice.org Animation Mentor

Emeryville, CA, U.S.A. animationmentor.com Phone: (877) 326-4628 Email: admissions@ animationmentor.com Animation Resources

Pacoima, CA, U.S.A. animationresources.org Phone: (818) 492-4934

Email: sworth@animationresources.org Degrees/Certificates offered: None Cost of program: $60-85 Head of animation: Stephen Worth Head of admissions: Paul Anderson Time of year offered: All year Application deadline: None Equipment available: Every other month, Animation Resources provides members only Reference Pack downloads, including podcasts, rare animated films, instructional material and e-books. Animation Resources is a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to serving the world wide animation community. For inquiries, call Animation Resources President Stephen Worth. AnimSchool

Orem, UT U.S.A. www.animschool.edu Phone: (801) 765-7677 Email: admissions@animschool.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: 3D Animation, 3D Character (modeling and rigging) Number of students in animation program: 400+ Cost of program: ~$11,600 Head of animation: Manuel Bover Head of admissions: Joshua Little Time of year offered: January, April, July, October Application deadline: Two weeks before each term begins CG Master Academy

(CGMA) Online Worldwide cgmasteracademy.com Email: registration@ cgmwonline.com

CGTarian Animation & VFX Online School

Vilnius, Lithuania www.cgtarian.com Email: info@cgtarian.com Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI, U.S.A. / Online comartsci.msu.edu/ academics/academicdepartments/journalism/ undergraduate/minoranimation-and-comicsstorytelling Phone: (517) 432-2634 Email: sfox@msu.edu Degrees/Certificates offered: Animation and Comics Storytelling in Media Minor Number of students in animation program: 250 Cost of program: Tuition credit based Head of animation: Professor Stacey Fox Head of admissions: Ann Hoffman Time of year offered: All year round Application deadline: Rolling Equipment available: Complete online course delivery for all courses in the minor. Additional notes: Are you ready to use animation and comics to gain a strong foundation of the history, theory and production of storytell-

Pluralsight

Online www.pluralsight.com Visual Arts Passage

Online www.visualartspassage. com Phone: (323) 366-7053 Email: hello@visualartspassage.com ◆

The listings section of this school guide was compiled using direct information emailed to Animation Magazine by participating schools around the world. If you'd like to be included in the 2022 edition of the guide, please email schools@animationmagazine. net. The information found in this guide is updated by submission on the magazine's website at www.animationmagazine.net/schools.html.

2021 23

ing? Students gain all of that, and more, through the Minor in Animation and Comics Storytelling in Media, administered by the School of Journalism. With this minor, students will learn how to create characters and environments that visually represent issues, events, narrative, instruction and history through comics and animation courses. Students will also learn to use critical thinking as you study storytelling content, context, ethics and the cultural, global and historical impacts of these forms for multimedia platforms and audiences. With this minor and several comics and animation courses under their belt, students will have the skills necessary to research, create and produce digital, interactive and immersive 2D/3D animation, comics, graphic novels and cartoons.

www.animationmagazine.net

TOC

Education & Career Guide

Autonomous Animator By Martin Grebing

Work Smarter: You too can learn to be as efficient and productive as this Pepper humanoid robot by labeling and archiving all your created content!

Templates for the Win W

hen doing production, I rank efficiency above all. More important than talent and more critical than experience, working efficiently opens up the opportunity for more revisions and refinements while simultaneously saving time, money and wear-and-tear on your grey matter. No matter how talented or experienced you are, if you take the long way around, you will inevitably waste time and money and the quality of your work will subsequently suffer, or at minimum not be as good as it could be if you only worked more efficiently.

Save Your Thoughts and Clicks

When you start a new project, always put a shortcut of this folder on your desktop. Constantly navigating through your computer, then your hard drives, then your folders, then your subfolders, takes time and extra thinking, whereas having your project shortcuts on your desktop clears the visual and mental clutter, taking you immediately to your project without needing to stop and think.

Starter Kits Boost Productivity

Chances are, if you are a staff member of an animation team or visual effects house, you do very similar work from day to day. This being

the case, why not create a starter kit that will give you a head start for each project? To illustrate this point: 2D vector character animators almost always utilize the same premade body parts for each shot or each episode of a cartoon. The animators are provided with hands, arms, legs, various facial expressions and more that can be quickly and easily assembled to produce animation. This is a very powerful concept that should be applied to all production work across the board. Imagine the waste of re-creating the exact same content from scratch instead of implementing premade templates. Shockingly enough, many (if not most) production artists do just that. For example, 3D modelers should create a starter kit that has all of their most used textures already set up in a 3D file. It’s a huge waste of time to sift through massive directories of textures each time you need to create a model if you frequently use the same assortment of textures. Go ahead and create a file that has textures applied to null objects so they are already setup and ready to go from the start. Moreover, if you use recurring models such as shingles, trees, bricks, plants, vehicles, etc., create a starter kit file that has all of these models already setup with textures applied so you can get a big jump on the task at hand.

Recycle Your Work

After each project is completed, categorize and archive all of your content so you can reuse and repurpose it later. For example: If you are an animator, save each walk cycle. If you are an architectural modeler, save each building. If you do landscapes, save each tree, each bush, and each plant. Put all of your content in ready-to-go files so you can use that as a starting point for each new project. Setting up an elaborate starter kit will save you lots of time, untold amounts of clicks, and relieve you of mental strain from trying to remember where a whole bunch of files are located. Not needing to browse through potentially dozens of directories, only to locate the same handful of files you frequently use, will greatly improve your efficiency and focus and will afford you more time to revise and improve the quality of your work. Once you establish this as a habit, there will soon come a time where you will never again need to start any project completely from scratch. And this will help you, your projects and your company realize more gains both in quality as well as cost-savings, while simultaneously making your job easier and more enjoyable all around. ◆ Martin Grebing is the president of Funnybone Animation Studios. He can be reached at www.funnyboneanimation.com

www.animationmagazine.net 24

TOC

2021

TOC

Education & Career Guide

We Have Issues!

Your Number-One Connection to the Global Animation Community

www.animationmagazine.net 2021 Facebook 25 @animationmagazine Twitter @animag Instagram

www.animationmagazine.net @animationmagazine

TOC

Education & Career Guide

THE PREMIER CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION IN COMPUTER GRAPHICS & INTERACTIVE TECHNIQUES

SAVE THE DATE 9-13 AUGUST

Join us at SIGGRAPH 2021 to celebrate and honor the past, present, and future of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Celebrating 48 years of excellence, SIGGRAPH presents a high-quality experience showcasing the latest research, cutting-edge ideas, and breakthrough discoveries.

S2021.SIGGRAPH.ORG

THE 48TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON COMPUTER GRAPHICS & INTERACTIVE TECHNIQUES

www.animationmagazine.net 26

TOC

2021

Animation Magazine April #309 2021 Issue

Articles inside

Tech Reviews

Doing the Locomotion

The Past Is a Strange Country

And Then There Were 10

The Beagle Has Landed Again

Visiting SpongeBob and Friends’ Early Years

Rabbit Love

Neighborhood Spirits

Asian Immersion

Adventures in Experimental Time Travel

Super-Powered and Sophisticated

Stuff We Love

April Animation Planner