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 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!

TAIS Chickenjam!

Lil' late in coming, I know, but we're finally off and running with this year's anijam event, the CHICKENJAM! Yep, it's all about the poultry this year as we take submissions for 10 seconds each of feathery animated goodness. Standard rules from last year apply...make it a 10 second animated film, make it about or around the theme, and submit a .QT format vid file to TAIS by May 30th.

Special thanks to Bryce for the audio werks, and the nicely cheesy v.o. And thanks to Michael Fukushima over at the NFB. He's gotten us some DVD's featuring chicken-related shorts from the NFB's animation archives. We'll be getting more goodies as the date draws nearer. In the meantime, get cracking on those films!

MONSTERJAM: Part the Last.

Greetings, my monstrous minions. This one thanks you for your patience; would that I could say with an honest heart that matters of great import prevented my promised delivery of this two weeks ago, but, alas, 'twas more the matter of the weather than of work.

Recriminations aside, I have promised and I have (finally) delivered. The completing half of our monstrous whole lies above for your delectation. And for those who prefer YouTube, it lies below.



Special thanks to one and all, the TAIS board, the animators, NFB staff, Monster Factory, The Beguiling, and everyone else who had a hand in making this a truly monumental event in TAIS history.

A special note: MyToons currently has the film featured on the main page, and I have it on good authority that Channel Frederator will be programming the films into episodes coming very soon. Thanks, thanks, a thousand times thanks once again to our terrific sponsors...you, gentlemen and ladies, as they say in the vernacular, rock.

I'll leave you on this note: what will we do for an encore in the New Year? The mind fairly boggles. Good morrow, one and all...may your pencils never dull.

MONSTERJAM: Part the First

Witness the fruits of monstrous labors. No more words.



Part the Last comes in one week. Prepare yourselves!

MONSTERJAM announced in Fred #125

The guys from Channel Frederator have been kind enuff to supply us with some pimpage for the MONSTERJAM event being hosted by TAIS. You can see the trailer here in Ep. 125...that makes two toons I've gotten published by the Fred! Woot! Special thanks to Eric Homan for programming this, and for promoting the jam. Intrigued? Pop on over to the TAIS site for more info, then make us some monster-mation and send it on in!

And don't ferget, you can also submit any animated film you've made in the past 2 years to the TAIS animation showcase! All the juicy details are available on the TAIS site. Meanwhile, this ep. of Fred promises Playmobil girls gone inappropriate and more French flavored pop-topped fun from the guys at Pileated Pictures. Enjoy!

Kaj Pindal's Birthday Anijam!

Let's end the week with a special sumthin' for a special someone. Master animator Kaj Pindal celebrates his 80th on Dec. 1st, and TAIS members Ruth Tait, Madi Piller, Bryce Hallett, Craig Marshall and meself whipped up a special birthday greeting just fer him! Extra kudos to Bryce for editing and prepping everything for the film, which was screened for Kaj at the big event at the NFB cinematheque last night. Go Kaj!

What can I say about the man and the event? Well, I'll leave that up to fellow animation blogger and industry vet Mark Mayerson...he's posted an excellent summary including a list of words from well-wishers over at his Mayerson on Animation blog. Glad to see another local animation blogger! Mark's the cat behind Monster by Mistake, and has been workin' in the animation industry for almost 30 years, so he can say more about Kaj and better than this scruffy pooch. Raise a glass to one of Canada's best. Cheers!