Midwest Association of Professional Animators

Free Anime for January at Alamo Draft House!

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Tue, 7 Jan 2014 11:37:00 -0600

****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE MAINSTREET ANNOUNCES
TWO MORE HOT TICKET ANIME SCREENINGS IN JANUARY!
EVANGELION 3.0 AND JORMUNGAND HIT THE BIG SCREEN!

Get Your Tickets NOW!

Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet is pleased to announce the screenings of two highly anticipated new Japanese animated films in January. First up is EVANGELION 3.0: YOU CAN (NOT) REDO which screens Monday, January 13^th at 7:05pm with an encore Wednesday, January 15^th at 7:00pm.

Also showing in January is a FREE screening of the first four episodes of Season One of the popular animated television series JORMUNGAND. This screening is a One Night Only event that will occur Monday, January 27^th at 7pm at the Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet. This screening is FREE; however, a $5 voucher is required to reserve your seat which can be used towards food and drink.

Purchase your ticket for EVANGELION 3.0 at http://drafthouse.com/movies/evangelion-3.0-you-can-not-redo/kansas_city
Reserve a seat for the JORMUNGAND event at http://drafthouse.com/movies/jormungand/kansas_city
Tickets for all screenings and events are always on sale at http://drafthouse.com/kansas_city/mainstreet.
Showing on January 13^th and 15^th is the latest chapter in the tetralogy “rebuild” of the original anime series NEON GENESIS EVANGELION entitled EVANGELION 3.0: YOU CAN (NOT) REDO. A gigantic hit in Japan, the series revolves around a young pilot, Shinji Ikari, navigating a giant ‘mecha’ called the Evangelion which has been designed to protect the planet from giant terrifying creatures known as ‘Angels’.
The latest entry begins with Shinji Ikari just waking up fourteen years after starting cataclysmic incident known as the Third Impact. He hasn’t aged, but everything else has changed. The earth is in ruins. The people he once protected treat him like a prisoner and threaten to kill him if he pilots another Eva. At NERV headquarters, Shinji meets a quiet pianist named Kaworu. As the boys bond, the organization’s true mission comes into focus. Lost in a labyrinth of deception, Shinji careens toward a mental breakdown that could bring about the end of humanity.
Purchase your ticket for EVANGELION 3.0 at http://drafthouse.com/movies/evangelion-3.0-you-can-not-redo/denver
For more information about the EVANGELION series and Eleven Arts Entertainment go to: http://www.elevenarts.net/evangelion3.html

Adding to the anime fun, a very special FREE screening will occur at the Alamo on January 27^th of JORMUNGAND, a hit Japanese television series which is about to debut its highly anticipated second season, and hot on the heels of Season One’s release on BluRay/DVD we will screening the very first four episodes on the big screen!
In the series, Jonah is a child soldier and the newest bodyguard for Koko, an international arms dealer with an entourage of hired guns. The cold-blooded kid hates Koko’s line of work, but following her into the darkest corners of the black market might be the only way he can find those responsible for his family’s slaughter. Besides, his employer isn’t like most merchants of death. She uses guile and cutthroat tactics to keep her clients armed to the teeth—all while cultivating her own warped plan for the future of world peace. With the CIA desperate for her capture, assassins eager to collect her head, and the potential for every contract to end in ultra-violence, Koko and her comrades in arms bring the boom to every corner of the world.
This is a FREE Screening but you can reserve your seat with a $5 Food & Drink Voucher which use can use at the screening. Reserve your seat here: http://drafthouse.com/movies/jormungand/denver
For more information about JORMUNGAND Seasons One and Two and Funimation Entertainment go here: http://www.funimation.com/shows/jormungand

Lyn Eliot raising funds for new animated short

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 5 Sep 2013 09:39:00 -0500

Local animator Lyn Eliot, creator of "Another Dress, Another Button" is raising funds for her newest project. She is co-directing the five-minute film "I Was a Teenage Girl, Apparently" with New York based animator/illustrator Nina Frenkel. Eliot serves as the film's writer and editor.

Frenkel animated this film using "tradigital" animation where hand-drawn elements are combined using computer animation; a little old school meets new. Frenkel admits the method is pain-staking, taking countless hours.

Both film makers have started a Kickstarter campaign to hire more Toon Boom animators. Given proper funding, they believe will get to see the film in August of 2014. They are offering up some wicked prizes for those who help.

"A short animation about a woman who finds her twenty-year-old diary, and goes back in time to talk some sense into her teenage self." - Kickstarter Campaign

MAPA ANIMATION CELEBRATION UPDATE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:58:00 -0500

Final Line-Up for the 2013 MAPA Animation Celebration to announced soon but here are some highlights...

See some unexpected animation titles in CinemaKC Fringe Fest Show

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:40:00 -0500

CinemaKC Short Film Showcase 2013

CinemaKC

Description: CinemaKC - a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing the film community of the Kansas City area together to create awareness and collaboration - presents a special collection of short films from some of the most talented filmmakers from the heartland. This fresh showcase of eclectic, funny, thought-provoking, animated and entertaining programming features some of the best pieces from the award-winning television show, CinemaKC, things unable to be shown on TV, and classic and rarely seen gems.

Artist Website: http://www.cinemakc.com

Length: 90 minutes

Ticket Price: $5

Schedule:

Sun 7/21 3:00 pm

Sun 7/25 6:00 pm

Fri 7/26 9:30 pm

Venue:

Screenland - Crown Center

2450 Grand Blvd.

"Monsters University" closed captioned event at Boulevard Drive-in

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Wed, 3 Jul 2013 07:04:00 -0500

“Monsters University,” the No. 1 box-office hit prequel to “Monsters Inc.,” will further entertain as Kansas City’s first open captioned drive-in movie event at 8 p.m. July 11 at the Boulevard Drive-In Theatre, 1051 Merriam Lane, Kansas City, Kan.

Admission is $10 for adults and free to ages 11 and younger. All proceeds will benefit nonprofit co-presenters The Whole Person, dedicated to people with disabilities leading independent lives in Kansas and Missouri, and CinemaKC, which supports filmmakers in Missouri and Kansas.

For More Information, Click Here!

MAPA is where you want to be!

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:30:00 -0500

Remember MAPA is nearly everywhere you want to be! Check us out all over the internet!

MAPA Facebook Group - Facebook Group Page
MAPA Facebook Fan Page - Facebook Fan Page
MAPA YouTube Page - YouTube Page
MAPA Twitter Page - Twitter Page
MAPA on Vimeo - Vimeo Page

Submissions Open for Animation Celebration 2013!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:59:00 -0500

Presents

The 2nd Annual MAPA Animation Celebration

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

After last year's amazing success, it's time to get toony again!

Do you have an animated short or feature that you would like to see on the LARGEST screen in the state of Kansas (75 x 100 ft.)? What about screening them along side some of entertainment's hottest animators working right here in the Kansas City metro area? How about getting feedback right from the artists? MAPA and CinemaKC are joining forces to make make it all happen again.

The Midwest Association of Professional Animators (MAPA) is proud to once again partner with CinemaKC to present our annual Animation Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Special thanks again to the Neal family for allowing our event to be held again at the Boulevard Drive-in, 1051 Merriam Lane, Kansas City, KS 66103.

This rare opportunity will give student, amateur and professional animators a chance to screen, discuss and answer questions about their respective works side-by-side. Furthermore, the Boulevard's ground camera will give willing artists a chance to make their own silver screen debuts and talk about their works before our live audience.

All submissions should be a .mov or mpeg file, scaled to 1280x720. They must all include a complete credit list. There is no cost for submission. Deadline to submit is August 21, 2013. Please contact Dylan, Taylor or Doug at midwestanimators@gmail.com.

SEE the cutting edge of Animation, VFX and Motion Design from right here in the Midwest!

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013
Boulevard Drive-in
1051 Merriam Lane Kansas City, KS 66103
Tickets: $20 per carload

Gates open at 5PM. (live music pending)
Films start at dusk.

Check out the sizzle reel from our inaugural year!

Downtown Olathe Arts Festival hosting events on June 29 & 30

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:03:00 -0500

AREA ART FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS ACCESSIBILITY

Downtown Olathe Arts Festival hosting events on June 29 & 30

On June 29 and 30, The Downtown Olathe Arts Festival will host more than 100 juried artists exhibiting and selling original works of art at the intersection of Park and Cherry Streets in historic Downtown Olathe. A variety of mediums will be showcased, including live artistic performances throughout the event.

The festival will be held concurrently with the De’VIA Deaf Art Festival organized by the Deaf Cultural Center Foundation. This event will bring to Olathe a number of highly regarded Deaf artists, many of whom work in a genre known as “De’VIA” (Deaf View/Image Art).

Mike Anderson, Chairman of the volunteer-run, Downtown Olathe Arts Festival Board, is excited about the collaboration: “We are honored that nine De’VIA artists are participating. We decided early in our organizing to support artists with disabilities and also younger, emerging artists.”

“We believe the power of art can transform lives and should be available to everyone,” Anderson said. “To that end we decided to keep the event free of charge and have worked hard to make sure the venue is fully accessible for people with mobility challenges.”

Children’s activities include painting, jewelry making and sculpting. The Doodle Bug – a popular attraction that allows kids to color on a white, Volkswagen Beetle – will also be on site.

Festival hours are 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. on Saturday, June 29, and 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday, June 30. More information, including videos of featured artists, can be found at www.downtownolatheartsfestival.org.

Spots open for short animated films in Summer 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:18:00 -0500

Dear Artists,

I have two open spots for short animated films for a season 3 episode of CinemaKC TV.

Two things if you want to submit:

1. You have to be available for an interview during our shoot dates in June

2. You must not have been featured in a previous CKCTV episode.

MAPA is also filling 80 minutes for the Independence Film Festival in August and 120 min for Animation Celebration in the Fall. If you are interested in having your work in any of these shows, please reply asap.

Thanks,

If you are interested, please contact us at midwestanimators@gmail.com

Dylan Dietz

MAPA Director

Black Sheep Animation Festival at KCAI

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 9 May 2013 11:01:00 -0500

Well, as many of you may have heard, the seniors at KCAI’s animation department are one week away from revealing their student creations at the Frame by Frame Festival. What many of you don’t know is that means the sophomore and juniors are taking over the Irving Ampitheatre, 4402 Oak Street, KCMO Friday and Saturday this week.

Seating is limited, so you may want to contact the Animation Department to make sure there’s room.

Friday screenings run from 6:00 – 10:00 P.M.

Saturday screenings run from Noon until 4:00 P.M.

So come out and get a sneak peek at the fresh ink coming out of Kansas City!

Dylan Dietz

MAPA Director

Call for K.C. Metro Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Wed, 1 May 2013 10:45:00 -0500

Gladstone Arts Commission is seeking artists interested in displaying their
work as part of the rotating art collection featured in the Gladstone
Community Center Public Art Space of the Gladstone Community Center.
Artists selected by the Selection Committee will display their works for a
period of up to 6 weeks during the time period of November 2013 through
October 2014.

Interested artists should submit an application and 5 digital images of
representative work. Only art that is able to hang can be accepted. Digital
files should be submitted on a CD and must be labeled with name, address and
telephone number, the title, medium, dimensions, date and with the top of
the work identified. Each image must be submitted in JPEG or TIF format.
Each image must be at least 300dpl and readable by Adobe Photoshop.
A completed application must accompany each submission. The application is
available at http://www.gladstone.mo.us/.

Submissions should be addressed to:
Director of Parks and Recreation
City of Gladstone
7010 N. Holmes
Gladstone, Missouri 64118
All submissions are due by July 5, 2013.
Please call 816-436-4089 for additional information.

Call for entries: Animated Shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:31:00 -0500

Hello, KC Animators ,
We have a call for entries with a focus on Animated Shorts and we would like to invite you and your readers to enter.

The FilmDayton Festival will focus on several categories, including Animated Shorts, Ohio Shorts, Horror Shorts, Experimental Shorts, and Documentary Shorts.

The entry deadline is May 1, 2013 (early bird discount for entries before April 1). For more info, visit filmdayton.com/festival and our online submission page at Withoutabox.com: http://www.withoutabox.com/login/12437

Selections will be shown during the FilmDayton Festival, August 23-25, in Dayton, Ohio.

Official release and category info are below. Let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
--
Megan Cooper, FilmDayton Executive Director
David Temmesfeld, Festival Shorts Coordinator
Patrice Hall, Festival Marketing Coordinator
More information: filmdayton.com/festival
Experience the 2013 Eichelberger FilmDayton Festival (August 23-25, 2013)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regional Festival Announces Open Call for Shorts
2013 Eichelberger FilmDayton Festival welcomes shorts from all genres to submit for the summer festival

For Press Information, contact Megan Cooper:
937-554-0031
mcooper@filmdayton.com

Details available at: filmdayton.com/festival

For More Information on Applying, contact David Temmesfeld, Festival Shorts Coordinator:
filmdaytonfestival@gmail.com

March 4, 2013 (Dayton) – The 2013 Eichelberger FilmDayton Festival is the first year in the five year festival history when they are accepting submissions. In past years, the Dayton-based fest has featured such great films as Daughters of the Dust, Winter's Bone, Bilal's Stand, Marwencol, Compliance, Tchoupitoulas, Trash Dance and many more. After establishing a following as a festival with high standards, savvy audiences, quality films, interesting panels, and great hospitality to filmmakers, FilmDayton has announced they are opening the festival programming up for submissions.

Features remain invitation-only, but short films may be submitted for consideration in the following genres:

Narrative Shorts

Whether it's comedy, drama or romance – send it in for Narrative Shorts. If it's under 30 minutes and tells a great narrative story – this is for you. (Note: Comedy Shorts under 5 minutes should be considered for submission to "Flick My Clip" – a selection of super short comedy films curated by Ryan Singer. Separate submission process announced soon.)

Documentary Shorts
There are new trends in documentary and we encourage you to show us how you tell a story. Submit your under 30 minute documentary to the FilmDayton Festival. With Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar, and Jim Klein (among many others) as some of our local documentarians, the FilmDayton community knows and LOVES docs! Come join us.

Ohio Shorts
FilmDayton is Ohio Proud! We're ready to show off our regional talent with a dedicated Ohio Shorts screening. Anything goes here – if it's good and it's got a significant Ohio connection (filmed in Ohio, written by resident, directed by native, stars local graduate, etc) – it could get seen at the FilmDayton Festival as part of Ohio Shorts.

Horror Shorts
Did you know that Dayton has an exciting underground horror community with a national following?!? Regular screenings and the annual Horror-rama mean our audiences know and love the genre. Submit your under 30 minute horror/thriller fare for consideration for the FilmDayton Festival.

Experimental/Animation Shorts
We love the feeling that a good film can elicit. Sure, sometimes that's with a great storyline, but sometimes it's from the surreal, the abstract, the animated and the otherwise created. If you've got an experimental or animated short under 30 minutes, submit it for consideration to FilmDayton.

Submission Details:
The festival will be Friday, August 23 – Sunday, August 25 with the majority of the screenings at The Neon in downtown Dayton. In addition to features and shorts, the festival also includes panel discussions, Q&As, workshops, a Pitch-It competition, and social/networking opportunities. If selected as a festival favorite, films may be shown at a later date as "The Best of the Fest."

The short film must be under 30 minutes (shorter films given higher priority) and completed since January 2011. Judging criteria includes (but is not limited to) story, cinematography, editing, continuity and an overall rating. Filmmakers will not receive their score sheets, but will be informed if they are accepted into the festival by July 15, 2013.
•   Early Bird (submitted by 4/1/2013): $30,        $25 Withoutabox submission
•   Regular Deadline (submitted by 5/1/2013): $40,    $35 Withoutabox submission
•   Late Fee (submitted by 6/1/2013): $50,        $45 Withoutabox submission

All this information and more is available at filmdayton.com/festival and our online submission page at Withoutabox.com: http://www.withoutabox.com/login/12437
###

--
Megan Cooper, FilmDayton Executive Director

David Temmesfeld, Festival Shorts Coordinator

Patrice Hall, Festival Marketing Coordinator

More information: filmdayton.com/festival
Experience the 2013 Eichelberger FilmDayton Festival (August 23-25, 2013)

Entries Open for 2013 Heartland Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 06:01:00 -0600

For Immediate Release
March 4, 2013

Contact: Greg Sorvig
Phone: 317.402.5876
Email: gsorvig@trulymovingpictures.org

Call for Entries Now Open for 2013 Heartland Film Festival

Academy Award® qualifying festival expands its award field with additional categories and cash prizes for independent films.

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) – Independent filmmakers can now submit films for consideration to the 22nd Annual Heartland Film Festival. The 10-day Festival, which will be held in Indianapolis, Ind., October 17-26, 2013, serves to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Filmmakers participating in the Festival attend numerous screenings of their films and other special events designed to allow interaction between filmmakers and audiences.
The Heartland Film Festival is a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards® in the Short Films Category. This means that the winner of the Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules. Three 2012 Heartland Film Festival Award Winners were selected as nominees for the 2013 Academy Awards® and one, “Inocente,” won the Oscar® for Best Documentary, Short Subject.
“Our number of submissions spiked dramatically last year,” said Tim Irwin, artistic director of Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. “We expect the numbers to grow again this year and have expanded our Festival Awards field with additional categories and cash prizes. Heartland is truly a filmmakers’ festival and we’re excited to offer even more ways to honor and share these films with Indianapolis audiences.”

Filmmakers are invited to submit independently-produced feature length and short films in Narrative and Documentary categories. Student filmmakers are encouraged to apply for consideration within the standard field of competition. High school filmmakers are encouraged to enter their films in the High School Film Competition, now entering its fourth year.
Submissions will be evaluated for their achievement of excellence in filmmaking and alignment with Heartland’s mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Submissions are accepted through Withoutabox.com.
Volunteer screening committees will help narrow down the initial field of competitors. Juries comprised of individuals from the scholarly film community, local film critics and previous Heartland Film Festival filmmakers will review the submissions and select five narrative features, five documentary features, five narrative short films and five documentary short films including student films, as winners. Outstanding films will be recognized with Heartland Film Festival Awards and more than $125,000 in cash prizes, including a Grand Prize for Best Narrative Feature, Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature, Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film and Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short Film.

Completed U.S. and international feature length and short films may be submitted by May 1 for early consideration and a reduced submission fee. The regular deadline to submit films for the 2013 Heartland Film Festival is June 15.
Visit HeartlandFilmFestival.org for eligibility requirements, a full list of categories, submission rules and more information on Heartland Film Festival’s 2013 Call for Entries page.
About Heartland Truly Moving Pictures
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, a nonprofit arts organization, seeks to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Its flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival®, launched in 1991 and runs each October in Indianapolis, screening independent films from around the world. Each year, the Festival awards more than $125,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to the top-judged submissions. Heartland has awarded more than $2.5 million to support filmmakers during the last 20 years. The organization’s Truly Moving Picture Award was created to honor films released theatrically that align with Heartland’s mission. By bestowing this award seal to honored films, the award allows studios and distributors to inform audiences of a film’s transformative power and appeal. Heartland is also dedicated to cultivating youth, and thus created the Heartland Institute to provide innovative educational and outreach programs that enrich the minds and lives of youth and aspiring filmmakers. Heartland shares inspiring films year-round in the community through the Heartland Roadshow, bringing meaningful films across Indiana. For more information, visit TrulyMovingPictures.org.

It’s time to gear up for Planet Comicon

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sat, 2 Mar 2013 12:29:00 -0600

Planet Comicon is Kansas City’s largest comics and pop culture convention.

It’s time to gear up for Planet Comicon. The show is going to be bigger than ever this year, with the move to Bartle Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center complex in downtown KC.

As usual, I will be organizing the panel programming for the weekend of events. With the new much larger venue, we expect to have three full tracks of programming. It’s too soon to even pencil in a schedule (the announcements of major guest appearances are just now starting to accelerate), but rest assured that there will be plenty to see. What can you expect?

Hollywood Stars! You’ll have the chance to attend Q&A sessions with the major media guests at the show. The announced stars so far are Peter Mayhew (Star Wars‘ Chewbacca), Adam Baldwin (Firefly), Julia Benson (Stargate Universe), and Tom Kane (Star Wars: The Clone Wars). There are other big name media guests yet to be announced… watch this space.
More costumes! Last year’s cosplay contest was a major highlight of the show, and it will be more spectacular this time around. The Planet Comicon Facebook group is already crackling with costumers gathering their gear. It’s no secret, for example, that a group of ladies affiliated with the Kansas City Time Lord Society are planning to cover each of the eleven incarnations of Doctor Who in female form – plus a tin dog.
Major comics creators! The panel programming will include more comics creators than ever before. We’ve not set the schedule, but you can be certain that we’ll hear from folks like Jason Aaron, Peter Bagge, Dennis Hopeless, Tony Moore, Ethan Van Sciver, Scottie Young, Brian Azzarello, and many more.
Live Doctor Who podcast! We’ve lined up the crew from Topeka’s Traveling the Vortex podcast to host a live session. Join Shaun, Glenn, and Keith as they travel the vortex with the Doctor and end up at the weirdest planet of them all… Planet Comicon.

We will have more convention announcements as they’re available. Planet Comicon will be held April 6-7, 2013 at its new location, Bartle Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. You can find out more information at the show on its newly redesigned website at www.planetcomicon.com.

2D Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:04:00 -0600

------Original Message------
From: Michael
To: kcanimators@gmail.com
Subject: 2D Animation
Sent: Feb 15, 2013 9:40 AM

Have a new venture creating an online learning to read program for 4-7 year olds. Will need quite a bit of animation (80 lessons). Not complicated design (will need design help as well).

Thanks,

Michael

Sent from my iPad

Artopia Organizers want Animated Entries

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:53:00 -0600

Artopia is looking for a few good Animators!

Artopia is a unique event that incorporates food, drinks, art, music, theater, film and fashion into one evening, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the local arts. It will be held at Screenland in Kansas City. Tickets range from $15-$25 and will include complimentary food, drinks, and entertainment. The Pitch also awards 4 local artists “Mastermind Awards” in 4 categories $1000 grants to assist in their art careers.

Admission:
$25 – $35(VIP)

Address:

1656 Washington Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

Phone:
(816)421-9700

Date:
Sat., April 14th

Time:
7:30pm

Contact Dylan Dietz at ddietz31@comcast.net for more information!

Support IFC 2013 Fantasy Filmmaker Draft

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:32:00 -0600

On January 30th, the IFC 5th Annual Fantasy Filmmaker Draft film project will officially begin. For those of you that haven’t been involved in a FFD before, it is a truly unique filmmaking experience. The goal of this project is to give you the opportunity to work with others with whom you have never worked before. While it is hoped that the final production is of high quality, that goal is second to learning to work with new people. Everyone who wants to participate, will. See the bottom of the page for details.
Here is how it works:

January 30th – Writer/Director/Producer Draft

Five team captains will be randomly drawn from the list of those who wish to participate as a team captain. These team captains will choose which position on their own team they will fill (producer, writer, or director).
In ‘fantasy football draft’ fashion, each team captain selects a writer, a director, or a producer. Captain A will select one position, followed by Captain B, followed by Captain C, etc. This continues until each team’s principal positions are filled.

February 6-March 6 – The Writing

Immediately following the draft, the writers for each team begin the writing process, with each script building off the previous writer’s work. Writer A will write 5-7 pages and give it to Writer B. Beginning where Writer A left off, Writer B will write 5-7 pages and give it to Writer C, and so on. At the end of the writing process there will be one cohesive story, with five distinct chapters, collaboratively written by the five different writers.

Script 1 due February 6
Script 2 due February 13
Script 3 due February 20
Script 4 due February 27
Script 5 due March 6 – All five writers meet to finalize and make the scripts cohesive.

March 13 – Cast & Crew Draft

Teams will gather to choose the rest of their filmmaking team. Teams will choose:

actors
editors
directors of photography
crew
all the rest of their team (extras, PA’s, scriptys)

March 14- April 2 – Film Production

Teams will have these three weeks to produce their film. They will plan, shoot, edit, and then turn in their finished product at the Wednesday night meeting on April 4th.

April 6 – Public Screening

All five films will be put together to make one film in five chapters. The film will be screened for the public, with refreshments and socializing included at the screening.

To Participate

Because of the unique nature of this event, filmmakers of all skills are encouraged to participate. Industry veterans, newbies, professionals and amateurs can all work together on one project. Everyone is welcome to participate whether an IFC member or non-member. There is a $5 entry fee for IFC members, $10 for non-members. To be eligible for the Draft, participants must indicate the positions in which they are interested. To participate contact president@ifckc.com . Official Rules will be released shortly, until then you can see last years rule here .

Animated nominations for 2013 Oscars

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:48:00 -0600

Frankenweenie
Wreck it Ralph
Brave
The Pirates
Paranorman

Dylan Dietz
(816) 267-0719

A Holiday (Double Feature) Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 21:53:00 -0600

A Holiday (Double Feature) Review

By Taylor Castro

With Christmas just around the corner, here's my double feature review of two children's animated holiday classics, "The Snowman" and "Mickey's Christmas Carol." First up is the 1982 film, "The Snowman", which was based on the children's book of the same name by Raymond Briggs. Interestingly, this film has no dialogue with the exception of the opening narration, and the lyrics to the song "Walking in the Air."

"The Snowman"

One Christmas Eve many years ago, a young boy was surprised when a snowman he made earlier that day magically comes to life. After playing around inside the boy's house, the Snowman and the boy fly to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus and other living snowmen. There was some joyful dancing and silliness. It was one Christmas night the young boy would remember for the rest of his life.

When I first saw the film as a kid, I was impressed by the film's animation style. It has that moving Illustration like feel, since it looked like they used colored pencils or pastels on each of the animation cells. The illustrations and movement convey a lot of emotion since there's no talking. The vibe is gentle, sweet, and whimsical. I give the film, four out of four stars.

"Mickey's Christmas Carol"

We fast forward to the following year of 1983: the 1977 Disney animated classic, "The Rescuers" was re-released along with the new Mickey Mouse cartoon, "Mickey's Christmas Carol." The film marked Mickey's return to the big screen since his last cartoon in 1953. It marked the movie debut of the late Wayne Allwine who provided the voice of Mickey Mouse.

The first time he did Mickey was for the short lived 1977 television version of the Mickey Mouse Club, which lasted for only one season. Allwine continued to do the voice of the character until his death on May 19, 2009 at the age of 62. The film also marked the last time that Clarence Nash provided the voice of Donald Duck. He passed away nearly two years later on February 20, 1985, at the age of 80. The voice of Donald Duck was then handed over to Disney animator, Tony Anselmo.

If you're familiar with the original Charles Dickens story, it needs no introduction. This film has classic Disney characters playing the Dickens characters. For example, Mickey plays Bob Cratchit, and Scrooge McDuck plays Ebenezer Scrooge.

The animation style was the standard Disney 2-D of the time. The setting was true to the era of the original publication of the book in 1843, and added to the story. Even after nearly 30 years, the film holds up, and is one of those films you'll want to see during the holiday season. I give the film four out of four stars.

Next month will be my 24^th Birthday, I will review one of my all time favorite movies, the Disney version of "The Little Mermaid."

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Review

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 09:59:00 -0600

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Review

By Taylor Castro

I decided to check out a TV showing of the animated movie, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on the Hub Channel. I had seen parts of the movie when it aired on Cartoon Network back in the late 1990’s and on YouTube in recent years. So I finally got a chance to see it in its entirety.

Before I can discuss the film’s storyline, let’s talk about the making of the film. With the success of the Batman Animated Series, a movie version of the show would soon be made. According to the website IMDb, it was originally planned as a direct to video movie, but Warner Bros. decided to upgrade the movie to a theatrical release late in production. As a result, the movie’s aspect ratio had to be reformatted to widescreen. Many of the actors who worked on the Batman animated series reprized their roles for the film version. The film was released during the 1993 Christmas season, but it wasn’t a big hit as the studio had hoped for, but it was a hit with critics. In fact some of them said that the film was even better than the two Tim Burton Batman movies released before this film.

Here’s a summary about the movie. A new anti-hero named the Phantasm has arrived in Gotham City to take out a group of gangsters one by one. In the process, Batman is mistaken for the murders because of the similarities to the Phantasm’s costume. Now he must go into hiding from the Gotham Police while figuring out the mysterious killer’s motive. To make matters worse, one of the remaining crime bosses hires the Joker to take out Batman and soon discovers who the Phantasm really is. While that is going on a woman from Bruce Wayne’s past returns into his life and decides if he should retire Batman once and for all.

About half of the film is told in flashback which explored the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Andrea Beaumont, as well as Bruce’s first attempt of being a crime fighter before coming with the idea for Batman. After a while of being together, Bruce asked Andrea’s hand in marriage in which she says yes, but later rejects him due to personal reasons. This wave of bitterness finally pushed Bruce into becoming Batman.

Many of the voice actors from the Animated Series like Kevin Conroy and Efren Zimbalist Jr. reprise their roles for the film version. The voice acting here is great and as well the film’s score by the late Shirley Walker. If you’re a fan of the Batman Animated Series, I recommend checking this film out. I give the film ***1/2 out of ****. With the holidays upon us, next time I’ll do a double feature review. However these will be two animated shorts instead of a feature film. First up will be “The Snowman” and “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”

Brodie Rush, Mixed Media Artist in KC

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 09:28:00 -0600

We here at MAPA wanted to thank all the local animators and new friends who joined us for Brodioke Night by taking a little deeper look at our host, Brodie Rush. This mixed-media artist keeps us wowed on a regular mix of After Effects, video sequences manufactured in his basement studio set and amazing alternative rock rhythms/vocals. Brodie works on a variety of different projects, from Bubbles & Blankets to his animated rock video Space.

Here's more on the man, the myth, the mystery...

MAPA: What is 'Bubbles and Blankets'?

BRODIE: Bubbles & Blankets is an outlet of energy spent to make "comedy" out of my After Effects learning curve. I needed some way to have tasks for myself to accomplish and a way to get better at the craft without using my laughable skills on more serious projects and looking like a fool.

MAPA : Briefly explain Be/Non and how you use mixed media to create your art.

BRODIE: Be/Non is my band. We have been together since 1994. Recordings and audio training seemed like a perfect transition into video work. Finally the video medium can be attained at home. Animations have become my recent passion.

MAPA: Tell us about your musical influences and what in your life led you to this calling?

BRODIE: My musical influences are mainly classic rock. I enjoy all kinds and types of music and they all make it into my music in some way or another.

My mother used to cater concerts for 13 years here in KC when I was growing up. I was always backstage. My parents were and still are big concert goers. They love music. I think that is what led me to this calling. Although after trying to "make-it" for years... I have recently decided
that I will still play music and see where it takes me but, creating visual arts and scoring to that, I feel, is the fast track to making a name for myself.

MAPA: Who is your work aimed at?

BRODIE: All persons throughout the world. Those with an flair for the arts and an open mind.
I'm not overly concerned to satisfy the mainstream American public at large with my
work with Be/Non or Bubbles, although I do make animations for commercial work.
A man's got to be paid right? Hahaha...

MAPA: Is there anything specific you want to say to your viewers?

BRODIE: Be patient, have an open heart and mind. I hope you will laugh or get some kind of emotion from it. Positive or negative, it's still an emotion. I'm kind of a wacky person, so, if you're wacky too, I just might appeal to you.

Thanks so much Brodie for the update. We'll check in with you again soon.

Any great projects brewing?

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 07:37:00 -0600

MAPA wants to keep Kansas City & Midwest animators and FX artists working! Maybe you can help.

Know of any animation projects going on in the area? Drop MAPA a line at kcanimators@gmail.com

Keep on Keyframing!

Dylan Dietz
(816) 267-0719

Tonight's the Night MAPA Returns to Trinity Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Thu, 6 Dec 2012 10:49:00 -0600

Hey MAP - Animaniacs!

Come celebrate a great 2012 with MAPA and Trinity Animation.

We will meet tonight at:

Thursday, December 6
6:30 P.M.

at:

672 SE Bayberry Ln Suite 101
Lee's Summit, MO 64063

The talented crew in Lee's Summit has invited us to come back and see what's brewing in local animation!

Just some of the things we'll see:

1. KC's biggest animation production studio and one of the web's biggest 3D software dealers

2. sneak preview of an Archer season 4 episode in its entirety

3. Demo elements of how Trinity built sets for that episode in 3DS Max with vray

4. 3DS Max "how to model cars" demo elements of Corvette C7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfFyZ3aaiQg and 67 CRC animations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD6Wk8jM5gA

5. The new Dell T5600 that has 32 cores (dual 8 core system with hyperthreading)

Not familiar with Trinity?

They specialize in photorealistic 3D architectural rendering, 3D animation, 3D industrial design and 3D visualization… and they do it picture perfectly. They also produce the backgrounds for the hit T.V. series Archer.

“Some call it virtual photography or photo-simulations. We call it art.”

So come out and see what Trinity is working on these days!

Trinity Animation: Land of 400,000 Hits.. and growing

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Fri, 2 Nov 2012 16:37:00 -0500

On October 20, MAPA Director Dylan Dietz attended a special reception at the home of Trinity Animation President Jim Lammers. The party was a public celebration of Trinity’s animation depicting the studio's visualization of a proposed C7 Corvette design for 2014. The animation went viral on YouTube, exceeding 400,000 hits in August.

This all began in November of 2011, after Jalopnik and other sites leaked details of the design, which had previously been kept secret. Trinity designed their animation based on what they thought the car would look like, employing the company’s trademark realism.

We caught up with Lammers who shared a few words on the success with MAPA.

MAPA: What does this amazing social media response mean for Trinity Animation?

LAMMERS: For starters we are actually animating a car project now, in fact a Corvette related car project. It's our first commercial car work and we're really glad to work on it. This is a company that makes retro bodies and puts them on modern cars, so people can have classic looks without giving up any modern safety or performance.

MAPA: What can you tell us about the challenges that went into designing your Corvette spot?

LAMMERS: The challenges were particularly unique compared to our usual work because the target was unknown. So we weren't modeling something we could see, we were trying to build something from little glimpses and hints. It was a real challenge and a lot of the time it seemed like we were in the mode of a car designer ourselves. That's a big part of why it took so long; there was no way to know if or when we had it "right."

MAPA: We heard that you had some criticism. What was that about?

LAMMERS: YouTube criticism is unhelpful, people there seem to delight in simply saying silly things, or one-upping each other in vulgarity. I never read it. But we did get some thoughtful and constructive thoughts on the corvetteforum.com site, which was fun.

I think our car is a good first impression of what it might look like and the ONLY 3D reveal of the car to date.

It's easy to make one drawing of one angle, like car magazines do. But it's much more rewarding for the public to see the car moving and to see it from all angles! I am fairly certain the final GM design will be better and sleeker but we did the best to combine Jalopnik's predictions with our own best guesses to make something close enough to be interesting.

MAPA: What's going down with Archer? You shared a sneak peek at the party but what can you share with Trinity fans?

LAMMERS: We are halfway through season 4 production and we've had a chance to preview a few of the early episodes. Adam Reed continues to shock, delight and entertain with his scripts. It seems like he has huge amounts of new places to take this cast and this show. I don't know how he can keep the funny turned up to 11 show after show but he does!

MAPA: Tell us about your musical contributions to your work.

Jim Lammers on the Gibson

LAMMERS: I really liked being able to put my own music on the Corvette video and having hundreds of thousands of people hear my work. I wrote something I thought would make good anticipatory "film score" like music, and then played guitar, cello, drums, bass and keyboards to put all those parts together. I only did the cello on the opening jaws-like segment as the sun shines into the opening doors of the warehouse. But the other parts I played straight through. I wish I had time to have done it in a proper studio for better fidelity (particularly with the drums) but I wanted to get the video done and out before it was old news!

MAPA: Thanks Jim for your responses and all your warm hospitality.

If you want to go behind the scenes of Trinity’s C7 concept animation with High Res Wallpaper Images of this car, click here.

Catching Up with Arie

noreply@blogger.com (Dylan Dietz) — Fri, 2 Nov 2012 14:16:00 -0500

Catching Up with Arie

The West Coast Adventures of
MAPA Artist Arie Monroe

This month, we catch up with MAPA Director Arie Monroe and her personal adventures in becoming a Hollywood animator.

For those of you who don't know, Arie took her amazing talents to Los Angeles recently...not an easy thing for a girl leaving her family here in Kansas City. But Arie says she plans to learn what she can from the big boys and then use those skills back here at home.

For now, she learns dozen of new faces each day as a caricature artist at the Universal Studios theme park. (Word is she is also moonlighting as a character clean-up artist for an undisclosed studio. She can't say where MAP-Animaniacs but trust us when we say it's a big one.)

"I love drawing caricatures," Arie says. "You really get to interact with a variety of people and personalities and you learn to add their personality traits to the drawing of them. They really enjoy when you pull out their personality in the illustration. ...Animation is like acting with a pencil."

We asked Arie to give us the lowdown on her California adventure.

"My work has started evolving again, Monroe says. "I felt like when I was in Kansas City my work became stagnant. So this is good."

Here is the rest of the interview:

MAPA: How has life changed for you since moving west?

MONROE: Well one of the major changes is I went from a freelance artist to a full time job. Currently I work as a Caricature artist at Universal studios while I look for animation work with my main focus being on character design, story and clean up. I had a friend that recommended my work and I got a little freelance stuff which I do after I get home from my other full time job. I am trying to get myself stable and soon I want to start updating my blog with new work on a regular basis.

I am also preparing for the CTN Expo. I am looking forward to it because I get to talk to studios directly and hand out samples of my work. Hopefully it will lead to a higher paying animation gig.

MAPA: Have you changed as an artist?

MONROE: My work has started evolving again. I felt like when I was in Kansas City my work became stagnant. So this is good. The freelance is challenging because I have to think in a very different way from doing spot illustration, sketch cards and caricatures. I am also looking forward to actually animating more.

My roommate is also an animator and we are working on a project together.

MAPA: Tell us a little about what your day is like going from one job to another.

MONROE: I love drawing caricatures. You really get to interact with a variety of people and personalities and you learn to add their personality traits to the drawing of them. They really enjoy when you pull out their personality in the illustration. It’s not just about drawing what you see but also about drawing what you feel: a very important key to animation. This allows me to put that into practice. Animation is like acting with a pencil. Today a friend at work referred to an animator as a really shy actor. In fact many of the people I work with are also aspiring animators and do a variety of art styles including abstract painting and fine arts.

MAPA: How's the commute?

MONROE: I recently bought a bike. Because Cali is pretty warm year round you can get a lot of places on a bike. It’s cool because I can do everything I do with a car. You can really deck out a bike with baskets and lights and mirrors so you can travel around town and do your grocery shopping. I am getting a lot of exercise. My commute to work is about 45 minutes but I hope with training I can get it down to 30 minutes. Buses also have bike racks so sometimes at night if I don't feel safe I can get on the bus for part of my ride home.

MAPA: What are you learning about the process of animation?

MONROE: I am learning a lot about the studio work flow.

I currently do character clean up. A person designs characters on model and then I clean up the roughs so that they can have time to do other things quickly. It is challenging balancing both to be honest. Sometimes they want artwork literally the next day or two and because I work full time I have to try and get it done as fast as I can.

Last week, I pulled an all-nighter to finish the project by morning and get it turned in and then slept 2 hours before going to Universal for work.

Because I am freelancing, I don't have to go to the studio. I just email in the project or Fed Ex if that is necessary.

I feel like I have a lot to learn though. I have a mentor that has been coaching me through some things.

Overall I am enjoying the adventure of being out west. On my next day off I am planning to visit Little Tokyo for sushi and shopping with some co workers/friends. It’s been fun seeing new things and meeting new people.