It's Friday, so here's some bunnies...

Went a wanderin' to see how many bunny films from last nights TAIS summer showcase have shown up online. I manage to scare 4 out of the rabbit hole that is the interwebs. So here's some hoppy goodness to get yer weekend started right. Enjoy!

TAIS showcase 2011 and BunnyJam films

Cookies And Bunny from Onno Knuvers on Vimeo.

Got the list of films in the Showcase and our Bunny themed anijam, hot off the presses from Madi. You can watch one of the entries above, courtesy of animator Onno Knuvers. Naturally, been busy with the work, so didn't have time to animate a bunny film (Noooooo!) but I am tracking down some fine lapidary prizing from some fine local bunnyectic technomologists. Here's the list of programmed films and Bunnyjam participants!

Program animated shorts TAIS SHOWCASE 2011

1. How to get the girl – Anshyn Anstee - Vancouver
2. Amourette – Maja Gehrig - Switzerland
3. Ooh La La – Sharon Katz - Ottawa
4. Black Moon – Brandon Blommaert - Calgary
5. Counting Sheeps - Neely Goniodsky - Montreal
6. Tara's Dream- Patrick Jenkins - Toronto
7. Wolves – Rafael Sommerhalder - Switzerland
8. Hick-Ups – Pascaline J. Knight - Montreal
9. The Manifesto Edition – Rune & Erik Eriksson - Norway
10. Sorry Film Not ready _ Janet Perlman - Montreal
11. Freud, Fish and the Butterfly – Haiyang Wang - China
12. Fitting in - Taylor Annisette - Mississauga
13. Paso Doble – Jamie Metzger - Waterloo
14. Fester Goes Fishing – Aaron Long - Toronto
15. Comin' Round – Barbara Whitmer - Toronto
16. The socking truth – Lisa Leung - Toronto
17. URS - Moritz Mayerhofer - Germany
18. Something left, Something Taken – Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata - US

Installations:
1. The Machine Wolf-Chris Juraschka - Waterdown
2. Courious Lights- Kate Wilson – Toronto

Bunny Jam participants

1. Americo Gomes
2. Ariel Villaverde
3. Bryce Hallett & Emma Lander
4. Cathy Kuo
5. Claire Bennett
6. Dalton Sharp
7. Dimitri Tcherbadji
8. Evan Maruszewski
9. Jerry Fuchs
10. John Creson & Adam Rosen
11. John Weldon
12. Jonathan Cheeseman & Charles Wilson
13. Joseph Troy
14. Joshua Robertson
15. Judith Van Der Made
16. Kayliegh Tresson
17. Kohila & Santhya Kurunathan
18. Larry Barriere
19. Lynn Wilton
20. Madi Piller
21. Mac MacCord
22. Michael Darmanin
23. Mike Weiss
24. Monica Gutierrez
25. Nick Cross
26. Nick Fox-Gieg
27. Onno Knuvers
28. Eurico da Costa Ng
29. Raphael Rosenwald
30. Richard Reeves
31. Vince Vaitiekunas


Quite a lineup! Screening happens June 23, 2011 at 7:30pm at Innis Town Hall (University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Avenue). Big comfy theatre with great seats, a great screen and great A/C. Hope to see you thar!

Life in the Analog Age: Hearing Test

Ah, the thoroughly entertaining paranoia of lil' kids. A lil' nostalgia from Gabe Swarr. More orange and blue reminisces to be found on his site. Late!

DRIFT: The Elements

Sweet Joosy Jebus, it's been awhile! More on what happened to the blog later, meanwhile Madi wanted me to post this toute suite. Check it!

Call for applications to:
The Toronto Animated Image Society and Art For Commuters
DRIFT: The Elements
Deadline Submissions: June 24, 2011

The Toronto Animated Image Society is seeking proposals for a commissioned project.

DRIFT: The Elements takes for its theme the essential elements of life: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water; elements that can give or take LIFE.
Artists are invited to explore their own personal interpretation of these fundamental elements with a focus on abstraction and experimentation.
Each successful applicant will produce a one to three minute animation exploring this theme.
Projects will be completed between July and September 2011.
TAIS will offer support for the development and production process of the projects.
Selected participants will be expected to attend a workshop prior to receiving access to equipment.
Works will be screened on October 1, 2011 for 12 straight hours overnight at Nuit Blanche 2011 on the Onestop Network of 300 television screens in the Toronto Transit Commission Subway System.
DRIFT: The Elements will dominate the underground tunnels, bringing art to over one million commuters, without interruption from the news and advertisements that usually populate the screens.
The works will also be hosted on the www.onestopallnight.com website.

Selected artists will receive:
· TAIS Full Studio Membership – including equipment access worth $150 each
· $400 cash honorarium
· Mentoring & support from an experienced instructor
Each application must include:
· Project description – 200 to 300 words
· CV, resume, or brief bio
· Samples of recent work (i.e., CD or DVD for time-based artists; maximum of 10 images on CD for visual artists)
· A self-addressed, stamped envelope. Submissions without a SASE will not be returned.

Selected artists will be announced on June 30, 2011

Contact and mailing address for submissions:
TAIS Programming Committee
Toronto Animated Image Society
60 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 102
Toronto. Ontario, M6K 1X9
Email: tais@bellnet.ca <mailto:tais@bellnet.ca>
Phone: 416-533-7889

Umbilically connected to animation

No animation here, but you can learn a lot from studying the timing, synchronicity and just plain clever business being demonstrated here. The Umbilical Brothers are an Australian comedy duo, composed of David Collins and Shane Dundas. Their animated shenanigans have got them on David Letterman's lil' late night thang and they've done Just For Laughs. Check 'em out for some live-action inspiration. More to come! Thanks to Bob Wiseman for tellin' me bout these doods.

InSitu and AquaJam gone live!

Tara, our erstwhile admin, has informed me that the animation's for Tais's In Situ project and this summer's Aqua Jam have been posted to the Tais YouTube page, as well as the TAIS main site. Here's a sampler from the In Situ films:



More viewable on the TAIS main site. As well, here's the AquaJam! A real treat for me, 'cause thanks to sunspot activity I wasn't able to make the screening at the Tranzac.



The board members will be meeting this week to discuss all the crazy shenanigans planned for the new year. I'll post what we're up to (if I can!) early in November. Meanwhile, enjoy! More to come...

The Housing Crisis made simple. And adorable.

Found this lil' gem online while, uh, searching for lil' gems online. Heh. This one was created by Stephen Neary ('member Chicken Cowboy?) for NPR's Planet Money. A neat 'nick note's' rendition of the U.S. housing crisis and a great straightforward explanation of the 'toxic assets' what led to it, it also includes some great writing (courtesy of the show's hosts), nice sound design by one Rob Arnott and of course, some really clever animation from Mr. Neary. Really like the sketchy/solid style and color design as well. Nicely done! Go on over to his blog and say hey, as in hey, we want more shorts like this one, please mister? O.k., gotta go earn my keep. More to come!

Lego Stop-Mo a Go-Go. God I'm a dork...

If you've got a kid who loves the Legos and the animation, you could do worse than getting him/her one of these lovely lil' Lego Stop-mo cameras. O.k., it's not exactly Dragon software and a Canon SLR (see, I know stuff!) but it is a nice lil' straightforward camera that comes with some basic capture software and two lil' Lego men. Plus it's cute as hell.

Some caveats based on reviews I've read. Image quality is a lil' grainy, but o.k. in a kind of super-8 lo-fi kinda way. See the sample animation below, courtesy of Kid's Tech Review.



The 4-way button on the back is cool, but there's no labeling, so figuring out what does what will require a bit of a read. The software is the same situation, not quite as intuitive as it could be.

It's also a lil' pricey at 100 semolians. A more practical purchase might be a half-decent webcam and a free download of Framethief or AnimatorDV Simple. Still, if you want an all-in-one package for that kid in your life with animation aspirations, it ain't bad.

Flip gets flipped to October

Don't know if I've ever mentioned Frozen North. They're a local Toronto game developer that were slated to drop their first game, 'Flip's Twisted World' on the Wii. Drop date was Sept. 21, which has come and gone. So, whence Flip?

Well, got an email back from one of the dev. team. Turns out you'll have to slot this game as an early Halloween treat. Manufacturing woes have knocked Flip back a month to October 19th.

The guys at Frozen North have been workin' their collective asses off on this, their first game, and if Jim Sterling over at Destructoid is any judge (and he is) it's going to be well worth the money of any TAIS game fans and your families. Plus, the MSRP of $29.99 will be easy on the pocket book.

It's local, it's Canadian, it's they're first Wii game, and it's inexpensive. Go get you one on the 19th of Rocktober. Don't worry, I'll post a reminder. Meanwhile, check out the trailer above. More to come!

MegaPupsh!

Beginning of the week, better get yer cute on. Got a copy of Capcom's Mega Man artbook for a friend. Flippin' through the 8-bit era goodness, got inspired to sketch up the Nemu-Nemu pups as Mega Man and Proto Man, with bird buddy Pollo as Beat. Pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. More actual news to come!

Eleven in Motion Gallery and DVD launch

Wherf, what a summer. Launched a new Iphone game, sitting on our biggest Flash game ever, so the blog has been neglected. Apologies! More postings in the fall, starting with this announcement. Eleven in Motion, a special melange of abstract painting and animation, will be happening this month! Painting from the 50's meet the animation talents of 11 Canadian contemporaries. The event includes a DVD launch, so you can take in the show, then take it with. Go to the TAIS site for all the details. More to come!

Extra Life 2010

Just a quick post to show y'all my latest. Technically, this was completed last fall, but I delivered so late (the day of the event) that the dude I did it fer, Jeromy 'Doc' Adams (the voice and sound you'll hear) decided to hang onto it for the 2010 event. So, I dusted it off in May, tweaked the animation for the smoothness, and re-shipped it to him in Texas, where he worked his usual audio magic.

The 'event' I referred to is Extra Life, a gaming charity Doc started to honor a young friend who died of cancer. Money used to go to one fine establishment, but now the charity is connected with the Children's Miracle Network, so whatever cash is raised can be designated to go to a particular hospital in the CMN. So visit the EL website, get yer game on and help out some kids in the process. Cheers!

U900 -Twist And Shout

Hotter than it needs to be out there in the big smoke today, so here's some crazy cute to cool you down. Amigurumi animation sensei Yosuke Kihara, aka KeroKeroKingDX (I hear he takes his moniker from a fave video game) has once again teamed up with Japan's U900 to give us a cover of the Phil Medley and Bert Russell song 'Twist and Shout' (as made famous by them Beatles).

As it turns out, this is just one track of a whole album of uke-flavored Beatles covers. So if you like your McCartney with a side o' poi, get yerself a copy of 'Ukulele Mystery Tour'. Oh, and while yer at it, go buy the rest of U900's albums and throw sensei Kihara some love on his YouTube page. Late!

TAIS summer showcase hilights

By all accounts this year's Summer Showcase was a beaut, with tons of great films and filmmakers in attendance. Madi managed to snap a few shots at the show, and sent 'em along to me along with the list of lucky (make that talented) winners. Good on ya, everyone! More cool events to come.

---
Jury Prizes:
Best of Show - Gold - AMOEBA by Patrick Jenkins
2nd place - Silver - THE ISLAND by Trevor Anderson
honourable mention - Bronze - SKETCHI by Lily Sun
Best Aqua Jam - "Where Are You?" by Jonathan Cheeseman

Audience Choice Awards:
Best of Show - WEENIE WAGON WOE by Willy Ashworth
Best Aqua Jam - (tie!) "Surf Film" by Marc Beurteaux and "Water" by Mike
Weiss
----

Award winners and jury photo:
(from L to R) Patrick Jenkins, Jonathan Cheeseman, Willy Ashworth, Ellen
Besen (jury member), Marc Beurteaux, Mike Weiss, Renata Mohamed (jury
member)

Best of Ottawa screening next week!

Quick post to let y'all know that if you missed Ottawa '09, you can still catch some hilights and enjoy air-conditioned comfyness at our Best of Ottawa screening next Thursday! Here's the skinny:

1.2 Best of Ottawa International Animation Festival Screening

Enjoy highlights from the 2009 edition of the OIAF, co-presented by the Toronto Animated Image Society and the NFB Mediatheque. The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is the largest of its kind in North America, attracting film buffs, art lovers, filmmakers, and cartoon fans from around the world to the nation's capital. The 2010 Festival takes place October 20th-24th.

Best of Ottawa International Animation Festival Screening
Thursday, July 15, 2010, 7 PM
NFB Cinema, 150 John Street
$6, $4 for TAIS members, students, seniors, Front Row passholders

Films screening include:
Love on the Line, Postalolio, Please Say Something, The Bellow’s March, Chick, The Black Dog’s Progress, Magic Cube and Ping-Pong, The Art of Drowning, History of the Meat Packing District, MGMT Kids, The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9! And Inherent Obligations

Come on downs, bring friends, and decompress with some cool toons. Later!

Run for the Toad

Ottawa animation fans will instantly recognize the above character as Mistletoad from the 1999 series "Toad Patrol". Seems Peggy and George Sarson, series creators, have organized a wee bit of a jog 'round and about Paris, Ontario...if you can call a 25 or 50 click trail run a bit of a jog. Buddy of mine Eric shot this poster to me...no word yet if the Sarsons have or plan to print any wall-size (please!). Meanwhile, the event happens in the fall, so if you wanna get yer run on, check out the event FAQ. Have a happy weekend, and stay the hades away from downtown T'rawna. Out!

TAIS Summer Showcase 2010

Whee, what a summer! Games galore, but work galore too! Don't worry, we've got toons galore comin' up next week for our Summer Showcase! Being on the board I was privy to the selection of the films, and we've got a hell of a lineup for ya. Here's them details:

You are cordially invited to join TAIS for an evening celebrating the best new animations from Toronto and beyond! Short animated films of all styles and genres will be screened, along with entries from our animated jam session, the Aqua Jam. We’ll also screen the cameraless animations created over the year at our monthly Incubator sessions. Awards and reception will follow screening. An event not to be missed! Come out and support your local animation scene.

TAIS ANIMATION SHOWCASE
THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010
7:30 PM; doors open at 7:00 PM
At the TRANZAC CLUB (292 Brunswick Avenue – off Bloor St. near Bathurst St.)
$8 general admission; $6 for TAIS members

Program includes:
"The Orange" by Nick Fox-Gieg
"Everybody" by Steve Reinke & Jessie Mott
“Weenie Wagon Woe” by Willy Ashworth
"I Need an Escape Plan" by Julie Doucet & Anne-Françoise Jacques
"Beneath the Eye of Time" by Madi Piller
"Recipe" by Martha Griffith
"Birth" by Signe Baumane
"Amoeba" by Patrick Jenkins
"The Animator" by Marc Beurteaux
"The Arctic Circle" by Kevin Parry
"Heavenly Bodies" by Mike Weiss
"Nukie Goes Bonkers" by Jonathan Amitay
"William's Creatures" by Pasquale La Montagna
... And so much more!

With installations:
"Thalé" by Barry Doupé
"A Typical Morning for Green and Blue" by Andrew James Paterson


**Please note: Admittance to the screening is restricted to those 18 years of age or older. Under the Ontario Theatres Act, we are required to adopt a blanket adult rating in order to hold public screenings without having to submit all works to a review board for classification.

**Like with all TAIS Programming and events, the Showcase is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts (Media Arts Section), the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.


See you next week!


--------------------------------------------
Toronto Animated Image Society
60 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 102
Toronto, ON M6K 1X9
Canada
416-533-7889
tais@bellnet.ca
www.tais.ca

Thoughts for Kazu

Just learned that comic artist and friend of TAIS Kazu Kibiushi's sister Juri was murdered. Cold comfort that they've caught the freak that did it. Thoughts and prayers with you, man.

U900- Ukelele Mystery Tour

A quick post on this luverly holiday weekend to letcha know that U900, animated uke band extraordinaire, has a new album dropping in July. Here's an uber-cute take on an old classic. Enjoy!

TAIS Aqujam!

First off, apple-logies for the long absence, the day job has been keeping me hopping, but not so much that I can't spare a lil' time to remind y'all of our upcoming Aquajam! Yep, we've done machines, monsters and chickens, so water was the next logical step. I think. Anyhoo, here's them details:

TAIS AQUA JAM 2010 - Call for Submissions

We are proud to announce that this year¹s theme for the TAIS AniJam, ten
second animations that will screen in rapid succession at the TAIS Showcase
in June, is ... Aqua! Underwater critters and cephalopods, acid rain,
flushing toilets, aqua flora and fauna, and any other idea you may have
related to the life aquatic.

Get those ideas flowing!

Submission deadline: May 31, 2010.

Submit your films as quicktime files on CD/DVD-Rom, via ftp or link to your
webspace with the submission form, a brief bio and two 2 x 3 stills (high
res jpeg) from your film. Format of all Aqua Jam submissions should be 720 x
480 Quicktime files.

Send your submissions to:
Toronto Animated Image Society
Aqua Jam Submission
60 Atlantic Ave. Suite 102
Toronto, Ontario M6K 1X9
CANADA

If you want to submit your film digitally via email in .zip format, via file
hosting or via ftp link, send to tais@bellnet.ca

All Aqua Jam submissions will be screened as part of the TAIS Animation
Showcase at the Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Ave) in Toronto, Canada on June
24, 2010, 7:00 pm.

So if you've been by the TAIS site and already know about the event, send in yer films! For those what have just heard about it, still time to knock out a quick 10 seconds and send it on in. More posts more often to follow!