TAIS Interviews: Dan Pinto

O.k., everybody what knows me knows I'm a sucker for animation, videogames, motorcycles, martial arts...and anything cute. Seriously, take a look at some of the crap on my desk...12 year-old girl or 37 year-old animator?





But this post ain't about me n' my desk clutter. (Meowth Rawks!) You know who does him some good cute? Dan Pinto, that's who. Frederator fans will know his work...ep. 96 featured his freaky-cute film "Hedgehug". A few words from the man hisself...

1) It's yer thesis film, correct? Tell us about yer school a bit.

I went to University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I majored in Animation. It's a small intimate department with a bunch of cool teachers. I even got to study under Paul Fierlinger.

2) What's the deal with the Nicktoons thang?

Umm... I got into the Nicktoons Festival. I got invited out to California but couldn't go. A bunch of other awesome shorts got in. We competed. I didn't win anything. The End.

3) What're ya workin' on now?

I start working (real paid work) soon. I got commissioned to do a global-warming PSA, and I want to start my next film.

4) Any chance of seein' yer stuff on a future 'Avoid Eye Contact' compilation?

I don't think I'm that good...yet.

5) Speakin' o' which, whassis I hear about workin' with Signe Baumann?

I start working for her this week. It's gonna be awesome!

6) A final word for your adoring public.

I don't think i have a public, much less an adoring one.

Somebody get this kid a public. And a spot on the next "Avoid Eye Contact". Seriously lookin' forward to what he and Signe come up with. And it's great to see new doods able to get their stuff seen by Nick, even though he din't walk away with the goods; Lil' advice from T-Dog...eyeballs watching yer film trumps a silly trophy any day o' the week. Hopefully, we'll see more Dan stuff on Frederator and the Youtubes in the future. And hedgehogs rawk.

TAIS Nooze

New newsletter from TAIS head-honcho Madi Piller...special NFB event featuring Joanna Quinn and a new fest to take a gander at. Plus, a reminder: 20 bucks off OIAF passes for TAIS members, so if yer goin', get yer pass, dammit! Check out them details:

1. EVENT :

The National Film Board of Canada, United Kingdom Trade and Investment and The Toronto Animated Image Society are proud to present: Joanna Quinn

Since her bold splash onto the world's auteur animation scene in 1987 with the Annecy hit Girls' Night Out, Joanna Quinn has arguably been one of the United Kingdom's most successful animation filmmakers. While audiences may not always know they're watching her animation brilliance, Quinn's presence on festival screens and home television screens is ubiquitous. From her ads of the Charmin bear (do they really do "that" in the forest?) to her multi-award winning most recent short, Dreams and Desires: Family Ties, Joanna Quinn is everywhere. Please join Quinn and NFB producer Michael Fukushima in conversation about her varied works, her choices in balancing art and commerce, and the sources of her wonderful writing and humour. Presented in partnership with United Kingdom Trade and Investment.

FREE EVENT
When : September 18
Time : 7:00 pm
Where: NFB Cinema ­150 John Street Toronto

-----------------------------------
2. SUBMISSIONS :

GIRAF 3: Ginormous Incandescent Resonating Animation Festival!
November 2 + 3, 2007

GIRAF celebrates Independent + Underground Animation, showcasing Canadian Animators and presenting animations from around the Globe. looking for submissions in all forms that celebrate the spirit independent animation. We welcome creative ideas that bridge disciplines of animation with new forms of contemporary art, including performance, installation and new media projects...

Please submit your project entries and completed entry form no later than:
5:00pm, Friday October 06 . 2007
For short film submission form:
http://qas.awn.com/media/GIRAF3short.pdf

For installation project submission form:
http://qas.awn.com/media/GIRAF3installation.pdf

--------------------------------------------------------------

3. OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

TAIS members have $20 discount on your OIAF pass
You have to show your valid membership card

FOR more OIAF the BLOG on the www.tais.ca

------------------------------
Toronto Animated Image Society
60 Atlantic Avenue, suite 102
Toronto, Ontario
M6K 1X9

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

Technorati taggin' and Mike L. checks in...

Just a quick post to let y'all know what Mike L., the upstanding head of Citizens Against Safety Goggles, is up to. Seems he's got a new character, "Uncle Hell" (any relation to Mr. Hell?) and will be premiering 4 new toons over four weeks, starting tanight (!) on FuelTV's show "Stupidface". Don't see it on the schedule (must need updatin', go to www.fuel.tv) but trust him, it'll be there. Go watch. Bein' Canuckioid, I gots to wait for the Youtube. Meanwhile, here's some edyoumacashun 'bout bees.

Oh, you smartpants out there will notice the Technorati thang in the post URL...just tryin' to spread the woid is all...letcha know how it works out. I'll be posting about young Dan Pinto later today, don't think I done fergot. Late.

Technorati Profile

BioShock review by Zero Punctuation

O.k., O.k., technically this isn't 'animated', but it's a great example of how a lil' design and motion and a lot of great writing can spice up that high-tech lo-fi hackneyed ol' web chestnut, the video-game review. This dood's rants became so popular that he eventually got 'discovered' by a brit culture mag, The Escapist, which now hosts him. For those viral marketing students out there, you can learn two things from this:

1) viral marketing HAPPENS. Like a bowel movement. Force it, and all yer gonna get is ...well, if yer out of college now you should know already. Just remember that ol' viral hemorrhoid known as 'All I want for Xmas is a PSP'. Right.

2) You don't have to force it, just find a funny yob like this guy and pay him some cash to keep doing what he is doing, but doing it on your site. Don't pay him to try to shill your stuff, that'll phuck the whole deal up faster than jamming a Prep-H butt bullet up yer nether regions.

Hookay, enuff. Have a bit of an interview with 'HedgeHug' animator Dan Pinto for ya tomorrow. Late.

OIAF Poster Madness: Gary Panter (2005)

We'll end our poster retro with a fine piece of abtract goofing by one Gary Panter. And, yep, it's still available ifn' ya wants one.

What can I say about Gary Panter? Nothing, really...hate to admit I don't know the man's work, so I went and got me a net edyoumacashun. Turns out that's he's one of the most influential designers and illustrators of the past fitty years. No shit...I can see his influence in Keith Haring, Rodney Allen Greenblat and mebbe a lil' in Joe Murray's stuff. But what do I know? Let's hear from the man hisself:



Thanks to Youtube vlogger Rabid of Lo-Fi St. Louis (http://lofistl.com) for this great interview. I gotta admit, not knowing the man's larger body of work, I kinda dismissed the 2005 poster for it's goofy primitive look. Seeing his paintings in this lil' gallery snippet, however, is a real eye-opener...I'm really jealous of stream-o-conciousness guys like Gary. The stuff in his head seems to lie down on the canvas untranslated and pure, without the typical design nay-saying getting in the way. Here's some more Gary goodness, a short that I believe hails from the ol' Liquid Television series that MTV done did, back when they were all creative n' shit.



His last big thang...design for a set of "Simpson's Movie" Vans matte shoes...can't tell ya how cool THAT is. So, go out and grab yerself a pair of Vans kicks done up by Gary, and a copy of that OIAF poster for some instant street credibility. Nice.

O.k., that wraps up our look at OIAF posters past and present! Remember, kidlings, a lot of these are still available at the OIAF store. Go get 'em!

Enuff shameless fest shilling...gotta go get me a spindle and see about burning some DVD's of my short. If yer up in Ottawa, look for the large goateed mass dressed all in black with a white gumstick MP3 player round his neck, and mebbe I'll show you what I done! More later.

Frederator 96!

The doods at Frederator keep doin' they're thang. Cool Toons this week include Hedgehug by Dan Pinto, The Belittled by Vi-Dieu Nguyen, and a wacky CF promo. Enjoy!

Quick Update: I liked Hedgehug so darn much (you know me and the cute critters, what can I say, I'm a big puss) I sent Dan Pinto an e-mail. Hopefully, we'll get the word from the kid hisself. Currently, I can tell ya that he and Signe Baumane are up to some shenanigans of the animated variety...

Even wronger...if you like the Star Wars.

Did I mention that Robot Chicken Seas. 2 is out on DVD? Go. Buy. Enjoy. Here's a taste of Sithy goodness. More later.