Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Book Signing - Siggraph Tuesday August 12th

Jamie and myself will be signing
the Thinking Animation book
at the Course PTR Booth #1019
(just a block down from the Rhythm and Hues booth)
at Siggraph - Los Angeles Convention Center
from 3:30-4:30 pm
Tuesday August 12th

Come by and say "hi"!
And, maybe Jamie will draw you your own
REDD THE CLOWN!
Click here for the full Siggraph 2008 Floorplan

Booth #1019

Hiatus

Dear Reader:
I haven't been posting to the blog like I should.  I find my mind wandering towards other interests at the moment.

I have decided to take an extended break to pursue other personal and professional opportunities .  I hope you enjoyed the past year and a half of posting...but I find my mind wandering to fine art, painting, my own shorts and my new role at Motion Theory.

Maybe I will come back later, but for now 
Au revoir...
~Angie

Thinking Animation Trivia Contest - Novemeber

It's that time again for this month's contest!

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And now for the new trivia question!

Who was the inspiration for the voice of the
Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons"(1989)?

(Thanks Na for the help!)

The winner will receive a copy of
Thinking Animation!

The Winner is Danny Zobrist in record time.
I tried to hard to make it a really tough one to answer!

To see some of Danny's work click play below...




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click here to see last month's winner!

Sick

Dear Reader:
I am sorry to have left you hanging with no dope links or animation to check out lately.

The comic above is exactly how I felt last week. My second week on my new job at Motion Theory and I got bronchitis. Man-o-man I forgot how good it is to feel healthy.

I took my antibiotics and vitamins and am finally recovered today and ready to catch up on some blogging...so look out!

October Trivia Contest!

Time for this month's book giveaway!
Answer this question correctly and you get a free book!

How many steps can you take between trash cans at Disneyland?

When placing the garbage cans originally in Disneyland Walt Disney ate a hot dog. As he was eating he counted how many steps it took to finish it. Every 17 steps there is a garbage can. This spacing is followed in every Disney park today.

CONGRATS TO MAYEC RANCEL for getting the answer correct!

Check out his short film!
Substantia


click here to see last month's winner!

Negligent Blogging amd Excuses...

I have been a bad blogger this month. I apologize reader. Lately, I have found some new interests that are taking up more and more of my time...and so I have less and less time to blog here.

Jonesie Cake is taking off. I had a booth at the Abbott Kinney Street Fair and it was very successful. I am placing my clips in salons and stores. It's growing so quickly, I cannot keep up with the website these days. Seriously, if you have a niece, a sister, a cousin. Get them a Jonesie Clip for Christmas...they will love you for it.
Oh Yeah...This is what happens when the Santa Anna Winds blow in California. It took me a couple hours to clean up this mess...and...

I also started a new gig at Asylum FX on National Treasure 2 and I am very happy to be back (I worked on the first National Treasure there in 2003). It's so nice to work at a studio that actually has a pipeline, has systems in place for doing things AND has effective, experienced people there making the calls. My days there are full with plenty of work to do and no surfing or blogging!

If that wasn't enough? I started a classical oil painting class under Cheryl Kline and I am so stoked to be there painting again. I also have an artist blog that covers my progress in the class, if you are at all interested in that stuff.

So, I hope you accept my apology, because I am about to slam you with a bunch of stuff sent to me that has just been sitting in my inbox waiting to be posted! Oh, goodie. ~Angie

Thinking Animation Book Trivia Contest for September!

It's that time again for this month's contest!

We are giving away a copy of the book to each month's winner
celebrating one year of Thinking Animation!

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And now for the new trivia question!

What kind of animal was the first to be animated??

The winner will receive a copy of Thinking Animation!

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CONGRATS TO CHRISTIAN BRIERLY!
He go the answer right!

It was a mosquito...

Animated short by Winsor Mccay
(born Zenas Winsor McKay disputedly
in Canada 1867 or Salt Springs Michigan 1871).

Click HERE to watch it!

Here is a link to a fun animated test this young animator did...

Heads are falling off!

To see last months' winner click here.

August Book Contest Question!

It's that time again for this month's contest!

We are giving away a copy of the book to each month's winner
celebrating one year of Thinking Animation!

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And now for the new trivia question!

What Disney feature has never gone out
of print since its initial VHS release in 1981?

The winner will receive a copy of Thinking Animation!

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ANNOUNCEMENT!
We have a winner on the bonus question from last week!

BONUS QUESTION:

In Thinking Animation
Chapter 7: When Push Comes to Stab
which funny story is about Tony Fucile?

Javier Fernández Conde got it right!

To see some of Javier's work click the link below.

Javier Fernández Conde Blog

image by Javier Fernández Conde

To see last months' winner click here.

BEST OF SIGGRAPH

BEST BUSINESS CARD!

Hands down Disney!
They took old drawings by the masters an placed a different one on the back of each card. I collected 5, there might be more?

BEST SWAG (stuff for free)
The Digital Domain pen was the kewlest!
...it projects the logo through a magnified light on the end.

My cat - lucky - loves it...he chases it all over the house!
Best cat toy ever!

BEST MASCOT!
Bunkspeed by far had the best mascot...a green mustang!

FUNNIEST PEOPLE I MET!
It had to be the South Africans Darin Hofmeyr brought round Sunday night! Judd Simantov and Brian Goodwin mug for the camera!

BEST SMILE IN CG!
Bill Ball...no doubt.

BEST DRINKS!
The 3.00$ Margarita, of course!

BEST PARTY!
I am probably a bit biased here, since I worked for SESI this year. But I have to say the visuals and DJ's and the fact that free drinks were flowing and easy to get to, made this party the best!

BEST BOOK SIGNING!
This girl touched my heart, her book was all dog eared and highlighted.
Jessie, thanks for the support!


BEST CG FACE!
I was finally leaving the convention center to go back to hotel, pack up and ride off into the sunset...and who do I see walking down the hall but Neil Sang! I worked with Neil on Pan's Labyrinth at CafeFX and he made me laugh every day. I think the last time I saw him was at the Wiltern for an Opeth concert. Rock On Neil!

Siggraph 2007 - Monday

Monday is a day for the exhibitors to unpack the trucks and vans, and get their booths put up. However, there are various panels and papers going on, as well. This installment won't have any floor pix really...just a lot of drinking, socializing and debauchery.

BTW, if you work for a software company...they have 8 am meetings every day. Yeah, you go out and have fun with your buds into the wee hours of the night and then have to roll downstairs for a staff meeting.

My roomie from SESI was Leyla who actually conducted these meetings, so I couldn't escape. I was having a slumber party with mom. Well, with Mom who goes out and drinks with you the night before, but can get up and get her act together a lot faster than I could ever try.

Leyla = Moma Bird

On Monday, I had a panel to participate in talking about
Emerging Production Demands
but that wasn't until 1 pm.
So, I went back to the room and took a nap...of course.

Houdini Expert Panel: Judith Crow, Mike Kalshalk,
Craig Zerouni, Jason Iversen and myself...
I look bored and Jason is sleeping
oh look, Craig's talking :)

Wow they either look bored or serious,
Craig must be the one talking for this picture.

I was actually a bit nervous for this panel. I don't usually get nervous, but this is a room full of hardcore fx peeps who do lots of math and write scripts and I am just a lil character animator who tried to get some new tools built in H9. But, as we went, I found my way through it.

As soon as SESI has uploaded the recording of the panel...
I will post an .mpg here for yall.

After the panel, I caught up with my co-author Jamie Oliff. Jamie is currently working for Reel FX developing original story content for their new feature films. This is his dream come true, finally he is creating original content and having too much fun doing it!

Jamie with his signature drink in front of
his face for every pic I take...

Reel FX recently acquired Radium and they have location in Dallas, San Franciso and Santa Monica. Reel FX/ Radium rented a boat in the harbor to meet and greet prospective client and employees. Jamie and I joined them for some martinis in the sun.

The Reel FX/ Radium Boat

I took this pic with my new iphone and it feels like the cam has a fish eye lens... funny, because that is how I felt on the boat at first. I have never been on a boat in the water. When I told Jamie this he looked at me like I was nuts..."So, you have only been on a boat on land?"

Please let me explain...

I used to live across the street from sea urchin divers when I lived in San Diego and would hang out on the boat while they worked on it and just talk. So, yes, I have only sat on a boat on land in their driveway.

This pic made me laugh so hard I had to post it.

Tim from Reel FX joined Jamie and I for a while.

All of the boat's down there had really fun names...

So after a couple martinis with the Reel FX/Ra peeps, we decided to see what was up at the hotel Tiki Bar. My girlfriend Lori Frietag - Freelance Compositor Extraordinaire joined us. BTW, if my eyes get squint-ier, it usually means either Jamie is making me laugh really hard or the drinks are strong.

Jamie explains his dissatisfaction with the alcohol to mixer ratio in his drink...keep in mind if he were back there mixing we would all be asleep, falling down or sick right now. Last time I drank Jamie's Mai Tais, I fell on a cactus...true story.

The bartender put the run bottle dangerously close to Jamie and he grabbed it and fixed his Mai tai...of course, then, the bartender decided to join us.

Phillip is pondering what to drink and Darin just looks confused...or maybe he has a upset tummy.

So, I had to leave Lori and Jamie to go have dinner with the SESI folks, until the Maya/Autodesk party that night. SESI was having their company dinner at Bella Luna and I had to get moving.

SESI Dinner table...

Peter and Ron, two of SESI's instructors. Ron never smiles, but I am gonna try and get at least one pic of him tonight where he doesn't look like he is gonna mess you up. Ron was my favorite teacher at SESI. He even got me to build a spoon in Houdini. Yes, I modeled something - Holy Cow. My old modeling buddies from Oddworld - Marvin Kim and Jane Mullaney - I know are laughing now...right?

Janet and Erick decide what to eat...

Paul (CTO) and Graham (Calin's slave, Jr. Character TD)

Jeff Wagner always knows what I like to eat and how to order for me. You see, I always have ordering envy...I never order the right thing. Anyways...David Robert, in the middle...you might remember from my posting about his SEED project and finally, Mark Tucker who made a great impression on me my first day trying to learn the software...he was very kind and understanding. Thanks Mark.

Told ya I would get at least one snap where he didn't look like he was gonna kill you.

So, it was time for me to leave and get ready for the Maya/Autodesk party. I had a special party dress to change into, so I caught up with Jamie and Lori back at the hotel changed and we caught a cab to the Aircraft Carrier.

We were still early enough for the free bar and there wasn't really a line. We walked up a bunch of stairs to the very top where all the planes were. Drinks were scarce. There had to be 3 thousand people up there and only two bars. It was pretty ridiculous. A friend of mine had figured out the method of coming at the bar from the side to get drinks and did so for us. I understand a venue of this size is hard to manage but two bars with only a couple bartenders each?

We did walk around and look at the planes because as you might remember Jamie is building one in his garage.

Not quite the same as these planes huh?

I was kind of worried about the guy inside this plane and wondered if we should try and get him a cocktail?

I have no idea what this is - but it's kewl...

And that's is a missle I think... :)

Jamie explains something about the plane and now I feel like I am at the museum with my Dad.

Lori poses...

So, we got tired of planes and wanted to try and go downstairs where the dancing was. There were two choices. You could take the very narrow stairs where it seemed like 2 thousand people were waiting in line to go some where you could actually have some fun...or you could take the elevator where only about a thousand people were waiting in line to get downstairs. You think I am exaggerating, but seriously...there was no control over how many people were trying to navigate this venue.

We had maybe 30 people in the elevator. Lori and I were the only females, of course, and I started to panic that the elevator would break or stop on our way down with us crammed in there like sardines. Turns out, we got out fine...on the second floor to meet up with some crazy old man with a flash light telling us to "move along!!"

We tried to get past him, but he was like the caretaker on Scooby Doo and we were the meddling kids on his boat. He sent the entire elevator packing. Who knows how many other folks spent about 10 mins on the roof only to be ushered away afterwards? If the elevator was your path to leave the party for good, there should have been a sign and someone standing there to tell you so...like they do at the standard hotel downtown. Sad, Sad, pathetic party. I will be doing a "Best and Worst of Siggraph" posting soon, but I can tell you this was the Worst party.

We caught a cab and hit downtown San Diego for some real fun...at a Tequila Bar.

See the smiles - that's tequila!

So, that was Monday. More to come on Tuesdays fun on the floor and the Houdini party!