Tuesday, August 26, 2008

TAIS: You've got jobs!

The power of Emilio compels you...to check out this TAIS job posting! Y'all see what I did there? I started out all serious and stuff, and then I did the Emilio joke. Cool huh? Just check out the listing, ya blatherskite.
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The Toronto Animated Image Society Is a not-for-profit art organization.

We have a part-time work opportunity for an energetic team player with proven organizational skills and a commitment to promoting the art of animation.

THE TASK : To administer a non-profit Office and Studio .
This requires ability to assist in coordination of programs provided throughout the year to members and non-members, as well as management of the work studio provided for the use of members.
The Office Administrator will report to the Board of Directors and be required to work in cooperatively with the Board’s initiatives.
The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, administrative experience in maintaining paper and database files.
Knowledge of the arts communities and the not-for-profit arts sector is useful.
This position requires experience with Mac computers, Filemaker Pro database, Microsoft office programs and email applications.
Basic design packages and Web applications experience is an asset.

2 days a week / 8hrs per day
$14/hr
Contract for 6 month with possibilities of extension.
Starting Oct.01, 2008 –March, 31 2009

Candidates are asked to send a resume and letter of motivation to tais@bellnet.ca by September 15, 2008

TAIS nooze and more! Well, sort of...


Here's some silly sketches of Emilio to confuse and distract from the fact that I've got nothin'. No, really, some cool stuffs comin' up for both myself and TAIS, but for now, stare at my llama. Here's them nooze:

Toronto Animated Image Society
1. New Events
2. Festivals
3. Members News
4. TAIS Welcomes New Members
5. Other : Valuing Culture: TOWN HALL REGARDING CUTS TO CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANTING PROGRAMS
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1. NEW EVENTS
1.1 - Screening Next Wednesday August 27, 2008
7Th Generation Image Makers : ISHSKWADAY
Where: Buddies in Bad Time Theatres , 12 Alexander Street, Toronto
Time : 6-9pm
Including: premiere of films by John Hupfield :new animated short, "Birchbark".
+ films by Shaneeka Melanson and Michael Crawford
( TAIS workshop participants on the project Aboriginal Expressions )
support aboriginal youth arts!!
For more information contact : Adam Garnet Jones : 416 969 8510

1.2- In the Land of Aardman: an evening of chat and cheese
Helen Brunsdon, head of shorts development and manager for television production, presents a short programme of Aardman works -- classic and new -- and will pull back the curtain on the Aardman emerald palace. Hosted by NFB animation producer Michael Fukushima, and co-presented with United Kingdom Trade and Investment and TAIS.
September 16 at NFB Mediatheque 150 John Street at 7 p.m.
FREE EVENT !
Limited space : RSVP tais@bellnet.ca
ref. : Aardman Event

1.3 - Ottawa International Animation Festival : Sept 17-21
TAIS members order your pass and get a discount !

1.4 - October 04 TAIS at NUIT BLANCHE:
A Program of animated films will play all night long at the RHINO 1249 Queen Street West. The program will be announced in the website soon!

1.5 - Ishu Patel Master of Animation coming to Toronto: Reserve your dates for screenings and workshop : October 18-19 ..... More info to come….

2. SUBMISSIONS
2.1- 10th Aubagne International Film Festival March 16th - 21st 2009
Deadline for entries: October 15th 2008 www.cineaubagne.com

2.2- 13th edition of the International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia, ANIMAC 2009
You will find the Animac guidelines, the entry form and the access to the online registration in the website www.animac.info

2.3- The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers: 17th Annual $100 Film Festival
March 5-7, 2009
Calgary, AB; CANADA
Deadline for entries: December 2, 2008.
16mm or Super 8 film under 22 min in length. MUST be able to provide a Super 8 or 16mm film print for exhibition.
Official release date after December 1, 2006.
The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers is pleased to present the annual $100 Film Festival from March, 2009. The festival embodies the spirit of low-budget, independent filmmaking and brings the experience of projected celluloid to our audience by only screening film prints. It is the only competitive festival in Canada that screens exclusively on Super 8 and 16mm film. The $100 Film Festival does not charge any entrance fees and pays artist fees for all films selected for the festival. The selected films will also be eligible for festival prizes. For more information and entry forms, please visit: www.csif.org/festival or e-mail festival@csif.org.

3. MEMBERS NEWS
Congratulations to TAIS Member Patrick Jenkins, his new film Labyrinth has been selected and screened in the following festivals :

June 2008 Official Selection, Animafest, 18th World Festival of Animated Film, Zagreb, Croatia (Competition)
July 2008 Anima Mundi International Animation Festival, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil
August 2008 Odense International Film Festival, Odense, Denmark (Competition)
August 2008 Montreal World Film Festival, Montreal, Canada
September 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival, Ottawa, Canada
September 2008 Animadrid, Madrid, Spain

4. TAIS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
Terri Roberton
Christine Whitlock

5. OTHER

Valuing Culture: TOWN HALL REGARDING CUTS TO CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANTING PROGRAMS
Everyone is welcome to join specially if concerned about the Federal Government’s blatant contempt for arts and culture.

Representatives from Government, visual arts, film, video, performing arts will be speaking and all will be strategizing on how to get our voices heard in the next election.

PLEASE JOIN:
Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008 at 7pm.
The Theatre Centre
1087 Queen Street West, (South East Corner of Queen and Dovercourt)
Toronto
Info: info@fusemagazine.org, info@thetheatrecentre.org or heather@torontofreegallery.org

BECOME A MEMBER, SUPPORT TAIS!
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Toronto Animated Image Society
60 Atlantic Avenue, suite 102
Toronto, Ontario
M6K 1X9

tais@bellnet.ca
www.tais.ca
416-533-7889

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Happy Life; Bert Dombrecht



Discovered a lovely lil' short from Belgian animator and illustrator Bert Dombrecht today...check out his other animated offerings on the YouTubes. More to come!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Animation showdown: Émile Cohl vs. J. Stuart Blackton

Interesting bit o' business to start the week folks. Slashfilm (via the Disney Blog) has declared today the 100th anniversary of the animated film. Émile Cohl's film 'Fantasmagorie' was released on this day in 1908, comprised of some 700 individual drawings, it's considered by some to be the first animated film. See it in it's entirety below.



But wait! I have to call shenanigans...J. Stuart Blackton developed an animated film 2 years before! It's actually said that Cohl was inspired by Blackton to create his own animated film. While 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces' isn't as lushly animated as Cohl's film, it certainly qualifies as animation...the drawings come to life on screen. See for yourself!



So, who's the father of film animation, Msr. Cohl or Mr. Blackton? In the end, who gives a damn? Pioneers like these got the ball rolling, inspiring legions of artists to try their hand at the art, eventually leading to something sublime...like, oh, say, this.



So hoist a glass to them whats paved the way. Cheers, cheers, a thousand times cheers, gentlemen!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Llamas and Nooze


Sorry for the quietude of late...a combination of the business-ness and the sickness-ness. At any rate, lemme get you up ta speed.

Them fine folks over at Channel Frederator put the 1st half of the MONSTERJAM in this week's episode! I've uploaded the second half to their servers, and I'll be giving a shout to all the jammers via email to see if we can get a few words from the individual film-makers for the Fred Raw blogs.

We'll also be submitting the jam to a few festivals and screening 'round the country and beyond, so as to spread the monster madness far and wide. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I've been whipping up some art goodies meself. In addition to the previously mentioned Fishboy, there's this piece, done for a podcaster homie in Ohio. Can't say what it's fer, exactly...



Beyond that, Madi has sent me a quick update of events planned for the coming months, and we may have a lil' sumthin' else planned for the end of the year...along with screenings and special events. I'll get you the skinny just as soon as I have the details. Next TAIS board meet will be next week. See ya!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Sketchy Friday: Hepe the FishBoy


Workin' on a design or two for the fine folks over at the Video Game Show, who are in preparations to head off to PAX, and whipped this up in the process. A character from the mouth and mind of VGS show panelist Keith Paladino. Have yerselves the weekend, more next week...promise!