Industry night and workshops

Last week was the 3rd year students' industry night at Gobelins, so we got to see the 2009 graduation films, which were beautiful and meet some of the students. They worked in teams of 3 to 4 to produce a short film in just 5 months. It is all student work. Pre-production is qbout 2 months. Recruiters from many studios visit including Dreamworks.

The 2nd year students are the ones who create the Annecy openers.

This week we have lectures by Alexandre Heboyan whose student films were: Le gouter (2nd yr) and La migration Bigoudenn. Alex went on to be recruited by Dreamworks Animation and to work on Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs Aliens. He is now back in Paris co-directing a French feature animation that is currently in pre-production.

Alex' s lecture yesterday touched on his advice on creating a demo reel (keep it short and just put in your best work), animation processes and discussions on timing, spacing, silence and comedy. He sited Jim Henson's "Manumanup" sketch as his favourite animation that displays comedic timing.

The photo below is of Max Maleo (student film: Burning Safari) in an afternoon workshop discussing holding on to your vision of an idea as you get lost in the detail of animation. The animators listening in are from California, Canada, Colombia, Italy, Australia and Malaysia.

On the walk...

On the walk to Gobelins there is a lot to see but the lure of animation at the end of the stroll is strong.

We have a workshop each morning in which to animate our class exercises. I'm animating in 2D and it's nice to work with pencil on paper with sound of Parisian streets (Bvd St. Marcel) just outside.

There are about 40 students of 22 different nationalities. Animation discussions are bubbling all around me in French, Spanish, Italian, English, Chinese. The cool thing is that we all speak animation.

The tutors checking my line tests yesterday include Max, who was on the team that made the film Burning Safari.

I have to get back to animating now. Bonjour!

Paris in summer

Well after about a 20 hour flight I can look out the window here at the university college and see a grand old Parisian building.

Sat next to a famous, he said, Malay celebrity chef on the bounce from Singapore...

This keyboard I am using is designed for French speakers so I keep hitting the wrong buttons.

No animation to report.

Some sketching in the Parc Monsouris next to the lake, which is just across the avenue. Walked to Gobelins today. It is about 45 minutes through little side streets and via leafy avenues. Used all the words in my French vocabulary buying baguettes for lunch.

Tonight I meet the other animators at a welcoming dinner. We start animating tomorrow. Au revoir.

Lift Off

I've packed my pencils and sketchbook. I've downloaded the French language MP3s. I was wondering about taking my Wacom tablet. But I think I'll go old skool pencil and paper. Started today with another excellent Jason Ryan Webinar. The taxi will be here soon to take me to the airport. Where's my passport? See you in Paris! (via Singapore). No, really, where is my passport... and the plane tickets for that matter... really got to go.

Wandering around restlessly

I have been walking the streets of southern Paris in Google maps. Strolling between the accommodation at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris and Gobelins, l'école de l'image (pictured) on Boulevard Saint Marcel.

The program for the 14 day summer school looks very interesting. I'm excited. I'm excited to be an animation student again. I can't think of a better career than being an animation student. Ask an animator, ask an animation teacher, ask the person at the bus stop, see what they say.

Most days are 9 hours made up of a morning master class and an afternoon workshop. There is an extra optional 2.5 hours before the first class that starts at the civilised hour of 10am. Lunch at 1pm for an hour. Animate in a workshop with the lecturer until 5pm and then free animation time in the Gobelins studios until 8pm.

Paris will be in that long European evening twilight for the stroll home with some dinner along the way. Yes, excited.