ITFS - Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart 2009

Date: 5th to 10th May

It has been a while now, but the school trip was a very memorable one. This was my first visit to fly into another country to attend a film festival, and hopefully will be the first of many more.

In those fully packed days of mostly in and out of cinemas and screenings, I hardly took any photographs, but here are a few of the lovely city.

The city by night.

The cinemas that we spent a substantial amount of time in. (The same cinema sign that we saw hit by lightning one of the afternoons.)

Some other interesting sights abound in the city, particularly with street performers. Alas I failed to capture any decent pictures to share. Although nothing special, I just like this stag.

Spiderman! I saw him when I was sleeping on a comfortable sofa in a bookshop between screening (can't remember if it is Borders).

Two of my lively friends from UWE, first year animation with a 'pony'.

One of the things I do enjoy very much about Stuttgart is the summer grass where you can lazed around with friends under the sun, that wasn't too hot.

And share watermelons too.

I enjoy looking at the celestial bodies when I'm outdoors. Our nearest star, the sun.

And the moon.

And the Doppelgänger of the moon.

Although I skipped Coraline's German premier, where Henry Selick was present and presenting, I did manage to get some good look at the film's puppets when it wasn't too crowded. The workmanship of these puppets were marvelous. To paint away the seams around Coraline's eyes would be quite as labor intensive.

Other highlights for the festival was to be able to attend the Disney lectures on Bolt, one of the recent Disney offerings I'm fond of. What's not to like about a big white wolf-looking dog?

Before our departure from Germany, it was time for a group shot in the airport.

Animators are animated people!

Simply meeting passionate people about what they do, something as consuming as film making and animation, from across the globe is the very inspiring! I would certainly like to return to Stuttgart again and maybe visit other festivals like Annecy or Ottawa too.

Exeter: the 10th Animated Exeter

Date of Trip: 15 & 16 Feb

Previously regarded as second only to Bath as an architectural site in southern England, since the 1942 bombing and subsequent reconstruction Exeter has been a city with some beautiful buildings rather than a beautiful city. (wiki)

The trip to Exeter has been absolutely fabulous. I find the hilly city quite charming in its own ways and that will warrant several blog entries to describe. For a start, I will talk about Animated Exeter, which was the primary reason I went.

Most of the event I was interested in took place in the Phoenix Center. The multistory building on a hill was guarded by 3 mythical creatures.

An orange dragon watches over the western side of the building.

A unicorn stood on the eastern side, on the steps up to the cafe.

And right above the main entrance roost the center's namesake.

The phoenix will rise every hour or so (about 7 minutes earlier than the actual hour, or so I was told). I was fortunate enough to witness one of its 'resurrections' without even knowing that the mechanical thing can move. I did make a short animated clip of it, but that will have to wait till I find a suitable way to upload it.

Tales From the Golden West is the exhibition within the center. The South West of England is home to some of the greatest and oldest animation companies in the UK. This exhibition showcases their work with many eye-opening treasures. The many production models, original storyboard and snippets from the creative mind's sketchbook makes you wish they'd share even more! The following are some of the awesome production models on display.

The intricate and peculiar models from the advertisement for Fanta by the Bolex Brothers company.

Aardman's early success, the plasticine Morph.

Aardman's recent foray into 3D CGI, Chop Cocky Chooks.

Aardman's partnership with DreamWorks, Chicken Run.

and Finally the popular plasticine duo, Wallace and Gromit along with the were rabbit.

In the life drawing workshop for animators that I attended, this was the first time I try to draw a model in movements and sequential poses. It came as a beneficial exercise though it is really hard to get a great model like her who is a dancer and knows the specific needs and vocabulary of animators.

While my main motive was to watch Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues, I ended up watching Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure as well since all the shops, and most of the businesses were closed as regulated in UK on a Sunday evening.

Sita definitely lives up to the hype surrounding it. Having seen Nina's previous film, the style of utilizing collage and 2D animation was apparent in this one as well. Of the various mix and matches of styles, I still do like her Flash vector characters the most. Their strong stylistic design with limited but well times animation makes for an entertaining watch. Laughs are aplenty, but what is special about this film is the sincerity or rawness perhaps, of 'the greatest break up story ever told'. While the Ramaya epic was quite a storytelling material, interweaving so well, the thread between the modern tale about Nina's own story, the three shadow puppet's hilarious dialogs along with their not always concurring accounts and finally the Annette Hanshaw 'music videos' was very admirable. It is really an alternative film that is not to be missed!

Irreverent yet so human, when Rama finally sheds the single tear, Nina was happy with her new cat and in the final scene with the role reversal between the Hindu deities, there was a real sense of triumph for the ladies.
A link from New York Times here.

The other feature of my 'accidental comedic and irreverent double-bill', Lucky Luke, was even funnier than Sita (it being more children targeted than the later). The film is simply too hilarious, ridiculous, silly and witty for words to describe. It is so hyper-actively choke-full of gags both in the visuals and the dialogs that you have to be the Ice Queen not to laugh out out. It was really nothing less than what I would expect from the producers of Oggy and the Cockroaches. A sure cure for any blues, go see it, if you ever get the chance. I most thoroughly enjoy wasting 90 minutes of my life for that and will be more than happy to it again and again!

More from Exeter later...

The Christmas Seasons

Winter is a time of golden sunlight, long shadows and richly coloured sky.

Thanks to the guff stream, UK isn't as cold as it could have been compare to other countries on the same latitude and snow is an even rarer sight in Bristol. From what I've heard from locals, the last white Christmas was around 15 years ago.

However, on a cold morning you might still get a chance to see a blanket of crispy white frost wherever the rays of dawning light has yet to reach.

So far, most of these silver dusted mornings I've experience are when I'm on my way to church on Sunday mornings.

I do very much enjoy the journey from Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood station and the walk from there to the community center as each week I trot the familiar path, I can observe the changing season.

As the festive season draws near, decorations are put up. Here you have a comparison of natural Christmas berries and artificial ones.

In this season of feasting, goodwill, light and Emanuel, I was fortunate enough to be given the privilege to share in a few wonderful family's Christmas celebration. The first visit prior to Christmas was to Mary's House with other international students. Revisiting Sea Mills was fun.

And how can you visit Sea Mills without seeing felines?

When night falls, some of the houses really shone with their decorations. This wasn't the most extravagant one I've seen yet. But alas, most of the more elaborate ones I've only seen when passing in vehicles.

On Christmas Eve, I enjoyed the services in the Bristol Cathedral. Both the Nine Lessons and the midnight service was quite an experience. This was my first candle lit Anglican service.

We had our own little decorations in the flat while having a dinner with some friends.

My Christmas day was spent with Saddie's family. These wonderful folks really made me feel at home. The atmosphere does reminded me of Chinese New Year celebrations, where there are decorations, reunions and gatherings of family members, plenty of delicious snacks and sumptuous feasts.

For Boxing Day evening, it was spent with my Hungarian friend's family. It was another very warm and delightful night, despite the temperature plummeting quite a bit from Christmas night itself. This might very well be due to the consistent sunshine from the 25th's morning till even now.

The season has been a hectic, eventful and enjoyable one in every sense of the word.

There are many arguments about if Christmas should be celebrated, but from this experience alone. I'd say it is worth it. There are the ecclesiastical significance, the folk traditions, the consumerism etc, but above all, I think it is a season and time to be reminded that there is something more out there - a window to what can't be seen.

The Man in the Baseball Cap

One of the highlight of coming to Bristol is undoubtedly meeting the man in the baseball cap.

Beyond and above the fact that he is quite a demigod in this arena, one who inherit so much directly from the Nine and bridges the gap to the new generation, there is something special about him.

I think he is hungry.

He is still hungry after more than 60 years and even now desires to keep his edge keen.
He truly loves what he does. For to desire 'to go into seclusion so that he can continue perusing his love' speaks much of this.

He seems to me to have a deep respect and liking for Katsushika Hokusai. And indeed, he much embodies that spirit.

At seventy-three I learned a little about the real structure of animals, plants, birds, fishes and insects. Consequently when I am eighty I'll have made more progress. At ninety I'll have penetrated the mystery of things. At a hundred I shall have reached something marvelous, but when I am a hundred and ten everything I do, the smallest dot, will be alive.

the road goes ever on...

Since the age of six I have had the habit of sketching forms of objects. Although from about fifty I have often published my pictorial works, before the seventieth year none is worthy.

to realize 'your worth', perhaps it is those who have seen the Earth like a sparkling sapphire pea who knows the worth of Everest.

How would I describe a successful artist? Nay, an artist at all?

If Heaven had only granted me five more years, I could have become a real painter.

That is what it is about, to be a true artist.

If I may ask,

for a heart that never satisfied and also never give up,
that I will love my first love more than I ever does in the last days of my life,
that I will still itch to conjure, so long as there is strength left in my hands,
and for the Undying Will.

I heartily wish the man in the baseball cap to find what he seeks and enjoy his years to come, doing what he is pleased with. May he live till a hundred and ten and five years more still, for I would certainly look forward to see more of his magics and wizardry yet.

What a privilege to meet you, in that humble yet all-too-important place.

www.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com

Pumkin heads

With Halloween near and pumpkins not too expensive, there is little reason to not make crafts out of them, since this is a flat-full of art students. Belows are some sketches we did.

(Of course Ponyo and The Owl are our design)

We carved 2, 1 on each night. Snowy is born on the 25th

while Baby Jiang Shi (Chinese Vampire) come about on the 26th

We think they should meet each other.

And they soon become fast friends.

After all, being a lone pumpkin is not as fun as 2.

We actually find taking pictures of them and their reflections and shadows more enjoyable than carving them and ends up spent more time snapping away.

After spending some time together, Baby Shi and Snowy decides to couple up and become the pumpkin bunny!

As time progresses, they grow even closer - behold the Super Pumpkin Bunny!

And they get so high, inevitably rocketing up into the black night sky!

Snowy had began to shrivel today after yesterday's blazing glorious night. I have plenty of doubts that they'll survive till Halloween's night.

Anyway, here is a short animation of Pumpkin story in Cartoon Brew,
The Pumpkin of Nyefar by Tod Polson and Mark Oftedal

And then there is Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book which I find immensely enjoyable. Now, here are some ghosts and haunting things you won't mind meeting if they'll befriend you.

~~~

With autumn rain and chilly winds, there is nothing like being licked by a stranger's big white fluffy spitz on a crowded old train. A dog's hot breath and soft gentle tongue caressing your skin makes the most miserable storm feels like a sunny breeze!