Adventure.

It has been a while.  Let me update you.

Things have been beyond great.  Job-wise, life-wise, adventure-wise.  Truly, as the past couple years have passed, things continue progressing forward in a path I am extremely happy with.

My senior film, Create has spread a bit in the festival circuit.  Recently returned from the Savannah International Animation Festival, where it won Best Stop Motion Short!  It has also just been accepted to the NW Animation Festival in Portland, OR.  I will try to put together the real list soon.

Create plays twice at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 28th!  I am happily going to be able to attend, as it is just a couple hours away from LA.

PARANORMAN!

It was dream come true to work at Laika.  Six months as an Assistant Stop Motion Animator on ParaNorman... in my opinion already the best stop motion film of all time.  But perhaps my judgement is swayed already, but it was just such an honor to help out on the film.  I have my fingerprint in it, too, with 12 shots in there.  Bam.  AUGUST 17th!  Go go go.

I'm in there... top leftish!

I am now back in La La Land, as an animator on Robot Chicken at their new studio, Stoopid Buddy Stoodies!  So fun, I love the people here.  And it is super refreshing to be doing snappy animation on twos again.  Here is an example sequence I helped on last season quite similar to what I've been working on lately #RCDC !

       

GOODNESS

Sorry for lack of updates... will be updating soon!
In the meantime - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzjhej9pVuY&

-Dannnn

Create wins "Best Student Animation" at the Savannah Film Festival!

By far the greatest festival experience I've ever had.  I got to watch Create with a happy crowd on my birthday, in the town I spent 4 years going to school in.  I got to visit old friends, and meet new friends and incredibly talented fellow filmmakers.

As you may be able to see, I was quite happy with the outcome.

Create won "Best Student Animation" during the awards ceremony, and it completely blew me away.  I was so pleased to have won, but I believe my speech was just giddy gibberish and amazement.  The response at the reception I got from friends, filmmakers, producers, and professors was wonderful.  It was such a good feeling.

A friend and amazing talent, Kirsten Lepore, won "Best Animation" with her film, Bottle.  I also had a great time hanging out with Jason Carpenter, with his award winning film The Renter, and Chris Swanson, with the film he worked on, The Reality Clock.  I was also able to speak with Christopher and Christine Kezelos, whose stop motion film The Maker blew me away.  There is a great group of people in this industry.
 

Under-dressed with 3 incredibly important and vital people in the creation of Create.  Thank you, Debra, Jeremy, and Jason.

ParaNorman - Trailer and poster revealed

ParaNorman, the film I am working on at LAIKA, is now starting to be revealed to the world.  It doesn't come out until August 2012, and there is still a bit of work to be done with it, but right now you can see what's to come.

It is looking amazing, and I am so proud to be helping out on it.

Create goes back to Savannah, also wins NYLA

Create is going back to his hometown of Savannah, GA!

While I was in school at SCAD, I would go to the Savannah Film Festival each year.  It's a week long festival that always impresses.  I now will now be going back, not just to attend, but to be part of the festival.

Create plays on my birthday, Nov. 4th, at Trustees Theater at 9:30am.  http://filmfest.scad.edu/event/3185-2/

Also, I just found out Create won "Best Animation" at the NYLA International Festival in LA!  That event to be held at The Whitefire Theater, on October 26th at 7:55pm.  

LAIKA continues to an amazing experience.  I now have 2 shots in the film.  The feeling of actually being a piece of the film now is a great one.

CREATE making its way to film festivals!

Create is now being seen by people!   Good!

I just got back from a quick flight to Austin, Texas for Fantastic Fest, which screened "Create" during its animation block.  It had a very positive response, and was a blast to attend.  I wish I could have stayed for more than 1 day of the week long festival, but sadly I'm woooorking. (It actually screened in 3 places on that Saturday (Sept. 24th) -  Austin, Georgia, and Poland!)

Here is the current list of festivals showing CREATE

9/17 - Burbank International Film Festival - Burbank, CA  (Official Selection)
9/24 - SCADanimate - Savannah, GA  (School-wide animation showcase)
9/24 - Fantastic Fest - Austin, TX  (Official Selection)
9/24 - Se-Ma-For Film Festival - Lodz, Poland  (Official Selection)
10/20 - SoDak Animation Festival - Brookings, SD  (Official Selection)

I shall try to keep this updated, as I am waiting to hear back from some and will be submitting it to many more.


Separately, CAMPFIRE made it to a festival too!  Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival in Atlanta, GA

The past 3 months - Frankenhole and LAIKA

Things have been intense since completing my film, Create, receiving a BFA in Animation at SCAD, and moving to LA.  Everything keeps getting better.

Right after school, I was hired on as an Animator for the Adult Swim tv show, "Frankenhole."  It was at the new LA studio, Starburns Industires Inc.  I was able to work with a bunch of my friends from Robot Chicken there, so it was a blast.
  (clip of season one if video doesn't load)

After great 2 months animating there, the season wrapped and I was ready for another step.

I am now working at a studio that has been a dream for me since I started animation: LAIKA

 

I am an Assistant Stop-Motion Animator on their new feature film, ParaNorman.  It is an amazing project to be on, and I am extremely fortunate to be helping out.  

More to come soon, especially now that Create is starting its Film Festival run!