ANIMATION SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS
ON CG SESAME STREET
BY THOMAS J. MCLEAN

Working on an educational project is not the same as working on a traditional animation project. The differences, say Animation Mentor alumni who have worked on such projects, are both obvious and subtle.

Several Animation Mentor alumni worked on a series of animated shorts for Sesame Street's Abby's Flying Fairy School. The shorts were produced by Westfield, N.J.-based SpeakeasyFX and featured a CG animated version of the Muppet character Abby Cadabby, as well as several new characters. This was the first time a Muppet character had been done in 3D CG animation.

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Finding Inspiration at Disney Inspire Days

Disney Inspire Days, an annual event held in the spring, was more than inspiring for animators pursuing their life passion, especially for several Animation Mentor students who were invited to attend the event.

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Animation Mentor Comes to SIGGRAPH 2010

Animation Mentor would like you to join us at SIGGRAPH 2010! We're hosting exclusive panels, networking opportunities and awesome animation tips from professional animators. And best of all, a Happy Hour party!

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Check out this month's short film:

Black and White by Animation Mentor alumnus, Gabor Lendvai. Read further to discover Gabor's process of his short film from conception to completion.

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Animation Mentor:
What inspired you to learn character animation?

Mike Gasaway:
I was in Architecture at the University of Cincinnati when I saw PDI's Gas Planet. I saw that short and was mesmerized. I wanted to do that. I didn't know what I had to do or where I had to learn it, but I wanted to do that.

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Animation Mentor:
What did you learn from Animation Mentor?

Jeff Weidner:
At Animation Mentor, I learned everything I needed to know about animation. Seriously, I knew almost nothing about animation, other than I loved it and wanted to learn to do it. I knew about a few of the principles of animation prior to starting at Animation Mentor, but I only knew bare essentials like squash and stretch. Animation Mentor taught me everything I didn't know (but needed to!) in order to become an animator.

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I've Graduated! Now What's an Animator to Do?
TIPS & TRICKS WITH KENNY ROY

For those about to graduate, the strain of balancing work, home, and school is about to end. If you are a recent graduate, you know what I mean when I say there is a huge come-down from the pace and energy you've been putting out. Before either your idle hands drive you nuts or you work yourself into a frenzy, take these few tips for staying on track during this transition.

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Geek Fact

In 1914, Winsor McCay produced an animated cartoon called Gertie, The Trained Dinosaur, which consisted of an astounding 10,000 drawings. The first presentation of the film was at the Palace Theater in Chicago, during which McCay interacted with Gertie the dinosaur. McCay stood in front of the projection screen and would pretend to do circus tricks with Gertie.

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Movie & Games Preview

The Animation Mentor Newsletter is your inside guide to U.S. movie and game releases and the visual effect companies who make movie magic.

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