SEVA Talk

Here's a talk I did last month for the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium regarding creative storytelling. My audience ranged in scope from elementary schoolers to college professors. Warning: I get very loud, so you may want to turn down the volume. For maximum educational value, go ahead and mute me altogether.

28 days...

Enroll Today!

What better way to kick off 2013 than with a taste of things to come? 

There's still time to sign up for the Spring semester!

32 days...

A Lesson from the Storymtrooper

I've been taking a story class at work, and wanted to pass along some of the wisdom that has been imparted to me. Namely, to stay away from flat ("proscenium"), or ambiguous compositions. Action should be staged dramatically, and dialogue scenes can be dynamic even if the conversation was boring anyway.

20 days...

AM vs PM

Sometimes my co-teacher, Paul, and I disagree in the class. When this happens, we always settle our differences amicably. Then I stab him in the back.



Our rocky relationship is made easier by the desserts that our students bring us every week. These desserts are a requirement of the course, and you teach any kind of class at all, I'd recommend the same for your syllabus.

While munching desserts, I like to catch up on what films my students have been watching. When a student told me they'd just seen The Fly for the first time, it made me wonder what a reverse-Fly flick might look like...

Between the sword fights, decadent desserts, and insectoid mutants, the AM/PM class tends to keep things interesting.

42 days...

First Day of Class

It's first day of class for our Fall Semester at the Academy of Art University, which means printing up a fresh batch of inspiration packets (art compliments of the great Tom Gately) and a fresh horrifying paint job at the Academy.

The paint scheme is already having adverse effects on our students.

Can't wait to see what effect an entire semester in this crimson nightmare will have on my psyche. Stay tuned!

49 days...

Chades Challenge LXIX: Bitter Cheerleaders

Who says cheerleaders are airheads? All the cheerleaders I've ever known are ambitious with a capital "A!" 

If you have any designs of your own, let me know and I'll post them below. As always, all are welcome to contribute! Otherwise, you can join in September 21st for...

CHADES CHALLENGE LXX:

UNSAVORY UNICORNS

54 days...

The Children's Creativity Museum

Last Saturday, I taught a storyboarding class for kids at the Children's Creativity Museum, nestled in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens.

We started the class with a few improv games outside to get everyone's creative juices flowing. Apparently kids dig playing outside--who knew!

When we came back inside, I explained story structure (using the most important film in cinema history as an example). We also discussed protagonists and antagonists, and why it's important to have contrast in those characters.

The children did an excellent job pretending to listen.

I told CCM that the class would be best suited for ages ten and up. Eight year old Allison weaseled her way in, and ended up being the best student in the class. Here Allison is explaining to me the components of a storyboard.

The kids came up to the whiteboard one at a time and created the hero of our own story, the bank-robber George "The Muscle Man" Jefferson. I created his antagonist, Det. Jimmy.

Using the formula I'd taught them at the beginning of class, we brainstormed the first act of a story. The students then had to storyboard acts two and three and pitch them to the class in groups.

I thumbnailed out my own version of the story on the whiteboard, to show them how to pitch.

Then the students went to work pitching their own boards.

My braintrust (the CCM faculty) chose their favorite pitch, and I drew pictures of George "Muscle Man" Jefferson and Det. Jimmy for the winning team.

In the end, everyone lived happily ever after!

If you're interested in visiting CCM, check out their website, Creativity.org. Ask for Heather, she's the best!

6 days...

Happy Birthday, Rebecca Stockley!

The first thing you learn in Rebecca's improvised acting class is to say "Yes, and..." instead of "No, but..." It's the general practice of plussing someone else's idea instead of shutting it down. An idea may seem mediocre, but that's the challenge: using what works, and making it great.

YES it's Rebecca's birthday AND we wish her an amazing one!

If you're in San Francisco, you can see Rebecca perform at BATS (Bay Area Theatre Sports) in Fort Mason.

14 days...

AnimC

For those Bay Area animators looking for a good place to hone their craft, AnimC (The Animation Collaborative) offers some fantastic workshops taught by Pixar animators, designers, and board artists. There are still openings for the Summer courses, so stop by their website and sign up!

AnimC is located right across the street from Pixar (and CVS!), so if you do particularly well in the workshops, you may even get a tour (or an internship)!

17 days...

Last Day of AM/PM Class

Last night was the final class of my third semester teaching at the Academy of Art University. 

Brave's director, Mark Andrews, was our guest lecturer. Fresh from finishing the final cut of the film, Mark gave a talk on the slings and arrows of filmmaking and the story process. I think it's safe to say all of the students came bounding out of the lecture, their cups brimming with a fresh serving of inspiration.

We asked our class to bring in scenes where a character experienced victory, to celebrate the end of a successful term. This scene, in particular, fit what Paul and I put our students through and the vindication of passing our class.

The clip warranted a final whiteboard sketch.

As you may know, we have a tradition of bringing a dessert to class. This week it was my turn, and I wanted to send my class of in the most decadent chocolaty style.

Congrats to our class, and all you film students out there who are wrapping up a semester of hard work!

37 days...

Brave Lectures

Yesterday, I gave animation lectures at San Jose State and Cal. A note to anyone giving a lecture at Cal: don't open with, "Hello Stanford!" I thought I was going to be drawn and quartered for that one.

At San Jose State, I was greeted by members of the Shrunken Head Man Club, the campus's animation collaborative. The group is named after a fortuitous paint spill on one of the department stools.

The students at both campuses were fantastic, and I was more than happy to hang around afterward for questions and drawings. I even signed a few sketchbooks, Pixar postcards, and the odd sweatshirt or two.

These are actual notes for my lecture. How the students gleaned any information from my talk is a mystery.

0 days...AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Oooh....

Teaching my friend Sarah how to draw her favorite Pixar character. Little known fact: all the best drawings are done on cafe napkins.

14 days...

Butt-Touchdown

Last night in class, we analyzed Ahmad Bradshaw's game-winning butt touchdown. I love the sharp angle as he put on the breaks just before the endzone, juxtaposed with the almost absurd squat-and-tilt backward. These are the sort of contrasting poses that make for great animation.

As I mentioned last week, my co-teacher Paul and I are also instituting a new tradition of students bringing deserts for the class. Here's Fiona with the first animation class dessert: dried mangoes.

Fiona was kind enough to bring a box for every row. We're definitely keeping this tradition going (though I discovered it's a bit more difficult to teach with your mouth full)!

18 days...

Just Desserts

Last night was the first class of the new semester at AAU. Animation Lesson One: always bring a dessert for teacher.

Each week, a different student is assigned to provide treats for the entire  class. I'm particularly looking forward to frozen grapes. Yeah, I'm failing that kid.

25 days...

School's Out II

See School's Out I here.

Paul Mendoza and I teach animation one night a week at the Academy of Art University. Last night was the last class of the semester, as evidenced by my whiteboard drawings:

As you may know from previous posts, I always leave a whiteboard drawing under the projector screen for the next class.

Today was special, because when I got to class, there was finally a whiteboard drawing waiting for me!

Also waiting for me: a delicious batch of cake pops! Thanks, Hannah!

Congrats to our students for a semester of fantastic animation!

11 days...

Reading Buddies

For the last couple of years, I've been participating in a program called Reading Buddies. Every Wednesday, we go down to the local Elementary School at lunch to read with the youngsters.

It's been an amazing experience watching my reading buddy, Domanic (seen with me on the top left), as his reading skills improve. I've even had a chance to teach him a thing or two about dinosaurs!

If you know of any programs like this near you, I'd highly recommend getting involve. Reading can change a kid's life, but you don't have to take my word for it!

12 days...

Whiteboard Drawings

I teach an animation class at the Academy of Art University. At the end of each class, I like to leave a drawing up on the white board, under the projection screen for the next class that uses our room.

The unsuspecting professor goes to raise his projector screen...

...when he is met by a dry-erase masterpiece!

I always expect a thank you written on the white board, or at least a return drawing. So far, no dice.

0 days...The Muppets Are Here!!!

School's Out

Paul Mendoza and I teach an animation class at the Academy of Art University in SF, and Tuesday was the last night of class. It's hard teaching animation for just one semester, because you just start getting a sense of everyone's style and you have to kick them out the door.

I'm not worried for our students, though. They were all MASTERS OF ANIMATION by the time we were done with them. I think Dong-Jin (pictured below) was getting a little tired of her nickname, Dong-Jin & Dragons, anyway.

If you're a student and you're looking to get your work out there, submit your film(s) to TR!CKSTER's Student Animation Film Festival. That's right, the creator-centric convention welcomes comic artists and filmmakers alike! So dust off those DVDs and send em in!

While I'm sharing photos, here's my friend Sean Feeley's entry for this year's Redbull Soapbox Derby. If you're in the LA area this weekend, swing by and root for the JP Jeep. They're bound to get major style pts; this baby has some serious rex appeal.

Redbull Soapbox Derby....maybe that's why dinosaurs evolved into birds. Redbull gives you wings, right?

36 days...

My First Faculty Box

First day of teaching at the Academy of Art University in the city. Great group of students, I can't wait to crush their souls.

25 days...