Blacks in Animation & Visual FX mentioned in Comic Con Article!!!!

Blacks in Animation & Visual FX mentioned in Comic Con Article!!!! Read the full article posted at Comic Book Resources. I posed this question during the Annual Black Panel at Comic Con this year.


Here is a snippet from the article:

A representative from an organization called Blacks in Animation and Digital Effects noted that many African-Americans work behind the scenes

in the industry and are often invisible. She asked if the panelists felt that being black was an advantage or not in terms of a career within the industry.

"At the end of the day, people want talented people," Hudlin said. He noted that it's tough to get a job in Hollywood for anyone. But he was encouraging, adding that if you are talented, have a good work ethic and work hard, you can make it happen.

Nichelle Nichols chimed in her agreement, stressing perseverance, a dedicated work ethic and maintaining hope until you get what you want. She then had to leave early and again received a standing ovation.

Pictured above l to r (Krystal Cooper, Chair of Blacks in Animation & Visual FX, Producer Kwame Holland and GeekSquad Co-Creator Martell)

OBS presents Animation in August - Co Sponsored by Blacks in Animation & VFX

Organization of Black Screenwriters presents
Animation in August - Co Sponsored by Blacks in Animation & VFX



Animation is one of the most vivid and lucrative forms of entertainment in today's Industry. From Pixar and Disney to Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and the Web, there are more outlets to distribute animated content than ever before. For those seeking entrée into this once highly exclusive career field, now is one of the best times to learn how to become a part of this successful genre and how to create content for it.

Our overall objective this month is to inform our members about writing for and creating animated content in today's market. As writers, we are aware of animation, but many of us don't know the first thing about writing for it-or what it takes to create and bring such projects to life. Join us in August for an in-depth exploration of Animation, an art-form Walt Disney once said, "can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive." We'll host our General Meeting on August 1st, followed by three (3) consecutive Wednesdays beginning August 12th, August 19th, & August 26th.

OBS General Meeting
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Sat., August 1, 2009

We've invited a group of multi-faceted industry professionals to provide attendees with inside knowledge on how to work in animation; the current climate of animation; the differences in 3D, television, and feature film, and how to bring your animated ideas to life. Joining us on our panel will be:

Ralph Farquhar - Co-President/Partner of Farcor Studios
Executive Producer, The Proud Family, Da Jammies (new series)

Kwesi Davis - Production Engineer, Dreamworks' Madagascar, Shrek The Third, Kung Fu Panda

David Wyatt - Writer, The Proud Family, Class of 3000, OBS Board of Director

Jason Van Veen - Writer, Boondocks

Greg Eagles - Voice-Over Actor, AfroSamurai, Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy

Daveed Kolodny-Nagy - Independent animator, Creator, Teapot

Tyree Dillihay - Animator/Director, Da Jammies, El Tigre, Read-A-Book

James A. 'Jim' Simon - Animator/Director, X-Men, Doug, Pac Man, Alvin & the Chipmunks, California Raisins, Smurfs, and much, much, more.


John Semper, Jr. - Writer/Producer, Television/Film, "Scooby-Doo," "Smurfs," "The Jetsons" (Hanna-Barbera Productions); "My Little Pony," "The Moondreamers," (Marvel Productions); "Duck Tales" (Disney); "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (NBC Productions); and many others.


We'll also have other special guests for the August meeting; Doreene Hamilton, Executive Director Cosby Program; Meg DeLoatch, Executive Producer/Writer along with all our regular segments.

OBS meeting is held at the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Bldg, Main Conference Room, 1999 West Adams Blvd., LA, CA 90018.

The meeting is FREE to Members with valid OBS Membership card.
$20 - Non-Members & visitors (CASH ONLY), which can be applied towards membership if you join at the meeting. FREE Parking in the rear of the building on Hobart Avenue off Adams Blvd.

PLEASE RSVP ASAP!
jwilliams@obswriter.com
310.844.8755

Animation in August:Workshops

Wed., August 12th

- Day 1: Workshop
7:00 - 9:30 PM

Creating Animated Content for Online-and off!



You've had an animated idea for years, but you never quite thought you could pull it off.



Well, think again! Creating your own animated content is easier than ever, and Shawnee' and Shawnelle Gibbs, web series creators and producers, will help you discover your inner-animator. This workshop will provide attendees with hands-on information on how an idea can go from page to stage with little to-know budget required.



Techniques Explored: Flash Animation, Traditional Hand-Drawn and Stop Motion


LOCATION:

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Bldg, Main Conference Room,

1999 West Adams Blvd., LA, CA 90018.



FREE Parking in the rear of the building on Hobart Avenue off Adams Blvd.

PLEASE RSVP ASAP!

WORKSHOP FEE:

$10 - MEMBERS

$15 - NON-MEMBERS


Wed., August 19th - Day 2: Workshop

7:00 - 9:30 PM

From Page to Stage!


In the second day of this 2-day workshop, participants will continue to explore techniques for creating, recording sound and publishing their own cartoons for online and off. With creativity and simplicity, each participant will realize their own cartoon prowess, while developing ideas that can become the basis for the next step: a successful pitch.

LOCATION:

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Bldg, Main Conference Room,

1999 West Adams Blvd., LA, CA 90018.



FREE Parking in the rear of the building on Hobart Avenue off Adams Blvd.

PLEASE RSVP ASAP!

WORKSHOP FEE:

$10 - MEMBERS

$15 - NON-MEMBERS


Wed., August 26th - Day 3: Workshop

7:00 - 9:30 PM

Presented in partnership with Blacks in Animation & Visual Effects, (BAVFX)



PITCH! - You've Created a Great Animated Project, Now, Who, Where, & How to Pitch It.



We've invited some heavyweights to provide helpful hints and pitching techniques with an opportunity for one or two of you to actually pitch your project and receive invaluable feedback! Invited guests include:



Karen Rupert Toliver - VP Production - Twentieth Century Fox Animation



Dwayne Corbitt - Co-Presidnet/Partner, Farcor Studios, Da Jammies (new series)



Sidney Clifton - President/Producer - Sanctuary Enterprises



Roland Poindexter - VP of Original Animation Programming, Nickelodeon



Eric Elder - Ow! Entertainment



MODERATOR

Krystal Cooper - Chair, Blacks in Animation & VFX, LA ACM SIGGRAPH Membership Chair

LOCATION:

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Bldg, Main Conference Room,

1999 West Adams Blvd., LA, CA 90018.



FREE Parking in the rear of the building on Hobart Avenue off Adams Blvd.

PLEASE RSVP ASAP!

WORKSHOP FEE:

$10 - MEMBERS

$15 - NON-MEMBERS

Blacks in Animation & VFX and Blacks in Gaming @SIGGRAPH 8/6/09

Blacks in Animation & VFX and Blacks in Gaming at SIGGRAPH 2009
Meet-up for black professionals and students involved in animation, visual FX, and gaming co-sponsored by Blacks in Animation & VFX (BAVFX) and Blacks in Gaming (BIG).

Wednesday, 6 - 7:30 pm
New Orleans Marriott
Studio 6
Krystal Cooper
blackanimation (at) gmail.com

Attending SIGGRAPH in New Orleans? Please Volunteer

Greetings Fellow SIGGRAPH Enthusiasts:

I’m very proud to announce that SIGGRAPH 2009 has put together a number of outreach/charity programs to give back to the New Orleans community before and during the upcoming conference.

These programs need your help and support. Given the culture and history of SIGGRAPH, we are hoping to receive the invaluable cooperation and participation that the LA CG community has always shown in the past.

There are several great ways you can participate:

• You can volunteer for just a few hours during just one conference day to share your insights and show deserving high school students what makes SIGGRAPH so great and provide them with career insights they never knew existed.

• You can help fellow volunteers design and decorate a graphics lab at a local high school in New Orleans that will forever change and impact young lives and potentially change their career direction.

• For those of you with little volunteer time, you can download a custom SIGGRAPH 2009 New Orleans jazz album with the proceeds benefiting a jazz camp for kids in New Orleans. The album is available now on iTunes and online.

Now more than ever this community needs your support. Please click on the link below for more details on how you can make a difference.

http://www.siggraph.org/s2009/community/outreach/index.php

Thank you so much for reading this message and for your continued support. I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans.

Jerome Solomon

SIGGRAPH 2009 + 1 Outreach Chair

Industrial Light and Magic

The Animation Guild IATSE Local 839 Reaches Agreement with the AMPTP

The Animation Guild IATSE Local 839 Reaches Agreement with the AMPTP

& More New Production Resources

The term of the new contract is August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2012.

Wages will increase 2% per year and Pension and Health contributions will increase 1.5%.

NEW WEBSITE RESOURCES

Based on user requests we have added the current Teamster Basic Agreement (the "Black Book"), the IA Basic Agreement, the IA Area Standards Agreement and the IA National Low Budget Agreement. Find these new resources on the Agreements page of the website.

Please don't stop giving us feedback on useful resources for the site.

Enjoy,

Sallie C. Weaver
President & Owner
Entertainment Labor Consulting, Inc.
3371 Glendale Boulevard, #167
Los Angeles, CA 90039

P. 323-988-0759
F. 323-908-4738
info@entlabor.com
www.entlabor.com

Animafrik: Africa Animation Film Festival

Animafrik

Posted from FPS Magazine

Animafrik, an African animation film festival that seeks to promote African art and animation will take place October 5th to the 9th, 2009.

Animafrik draws the relationship between art and animation and plans to offer a platform to showcase Africa's finest works with screenings, workshops (including workshops for children), exhibits, and professional meetings under the theme "Telling Our Own Stories". There will also be regional screenings in various cities following the festival.

DVD submissions may be sent by courier to: Animafrik Festival, No.5. Anowa Link, Tesano, Accra, Ghana; or by mail to: P.O.Box KN 150, Kaneshie, Accra, Ghana.

The submission deadline is July 31 2009.

More information can be found on the Animafrik 09 website

The Cleveland Show Trailer

http://www.hulu.com/watch/82347/the-cleveland-show-cleveland-extended-trailer

Animator Bruce Smith featured in The Princess & the Frog Featurette

The Princess and the Frog - Return to Hand Drawn Animation Featurette with Black Animator Bruce Smith, Lasseter, Deja, Clements and Musker discuss Disney's return to hand drawn animation in AWNtv's exclusive "The Princess and the Frog" featurette.