The Evolution of Trever Stewart

Trever Stewart

by Amanda Bennett

If Trever Stewart runs into a room and says to you, “Quick, play dead.” You might just unthinkingly throw yourself on the ground and imagine that there are big, black Xs covering your eye sockets.

He’s that persuasive.

And, since moving to Portland from Los Angeles, Mr. Stewart (Associate Producer of Special Projects, Bent Image Labs) has learned to use his impressive powers for good, specifically, for the good of local animation.

It has taken some doing, though.  Continue reading... “The Evolution of Trever Stewart”

Film Festival Update: PIFF, POW Fest, Ashland, Bend, Cinema Pacific

This week the the 35th Portland International Film Festival begins its three week celebration of cinema from all over the globe.  The festival begins on Thursday night (February 9) with the film “Salmon Fishing In The Yemen” which was directed by Lasse Hallstrom.  For a complete listing of the films and schedule, click here.

Also in the horizon is POW fest March 8-12, the Ashland Independent Film Festival which is April 12-16, and  Cinema Pacific in Eugene April 18-22Continue reading... “Film Festival Update: PIFF, POW Fest, Ashland, Bend, Cinema Pacific”

Superbowl Ads Once Again Have an Oregon Connection

Last year Portland’s powerhouse ad agency Weiden + Kennedy made waves with their Chrysler commercial featuring Eminem.  This year it was Clint Eastwood.  (I can’t embed the clip so here’s the link) http://www.youtube.com/chrysler?sid=1037056&KWNM=chrysler+commercial&KWID=3179744957SB_2012&channel=paidsearch The spot which aired at halftime of the Superbowl was almost as much of a pep rally as it was a commercial.  It’s already received a lot of buzz and sure to continue through the week.  W+K also scored with several Coca Cola commercials featuring their animated Polar Bears.  Continue reading... “Superbowl Ads Once Again Have an Oregon Connection”

Portland Animation Now! – January 27-28

Discover Portland’s Powerhouse Animation Scene

Portland birthed the California Raisins. It schooled the voice of Bugs Bunny and the mind behind The Simpsons. It’s home to “the queen of indie animation.” It’s a rising force in entertainment, producing both TV shows and hit feature films such as Coraline.

On January 27-28, Portland Animation Now! reveals the power source behind these cultural icons: our electric, eclectic, grassroots animation scene.

Organized by the folks who brought us the first-ever NW Animation Festival this past summer, PAN!

Continue reading... “Portland Animation Now! – January 27-28”

MoPix – Setting out to Create a Post-DVD Experience – Demos at PIE Demo Day

This past year Portland Headquartered Ad Agency Weiden + Kennedy had a realization.  They needed to be better connected to innovative tech startups.  So what did they do?  They freed up some office space and started their own startup incubator called the Portland Incubator Experiment.  With the help of several brands including Coca-Cola, Target, and Google, W+K invited entrepreneurs to apply for a three month stay along with $18,000 and access to some top mentors in the startup world.  Today at Portland’s Bagdad Theater, the first round of companies will present their ideas and products to potential investors, media, and the public. Continue reading... “MoPix – Setting out to Create a Post-DVD Experience – Demos at PIE Demo Day”

All Three Oregon Produced Shows Airing New Episdoes this Weekend!

Are you ready for a weekend full of Oregon produced Television?  Starting tonight on IFC “Portlandia” airs episode 2 of its second season.  Tonight’s episode includes guest stars Jeff Goldblum, Edward James Olmos, Eddie Vedder, and even an Eddie Vedder tatoo.  I had the chance to see the episode early and I have to say that the Portland Allergy Pride Parade is hilarious!  Season 2 got off to a great start last week and the ratings were greatly improved from Season 1. Continue reading... “All Three Oregon Produced Shows Airing New Episdoes this Weekend!”

Oregon Film “The Perception of Moving Targets” Selected to Screen at Sundance

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/27963192[/vimeo]

Local film maker Weston Currie’s film “The Perception of Moving Targets” will screen at the Sundance Film Festival as a part of the New Frontier series.  Here’s a link to more info on the film via the Sundance Website. The festival has featured quite a few films from Oregon in past years including last year’s award winning documentary “How to Die in Oregon”.  According to Weston’s bio on the Sundance site this is his first feature after several short form films.  Continue reading... “Oregon Film “The Perception of Moving Targets” Selected to Screen at Sundance”

Job Posting – 3D Studio Max Technical Director for Bent Image Lab

Position: 3D Studio Max Technical Director

Bent Image Lab is seeking Pipeline TD’s for all areas of production including animation, stereoscopic and visual effects.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities: Continue reading... “Job Posting – 3D Studio Max Technical Director for Bent Image Lab”

Recorded Webcast of Annual Meeting Available

This year the University of Oregon’s media team was able to record the annual meeting and now it’s available here.  If you have a Mac you’ll first need to download the flip for Mac Application which can be found here.  One quick note – we ran a 15 minute pre-show of clips prior to the meeting beginning and that is on the front end of the video.  If you’re interested in knowing what the clips are –

#1 – YouTube video of a boy who wrote “An Ode to Fred Armisen” after meeting him on the set of ‘Portlandia”

#2 – “Rid of Me” Trailer

#3 – “Gone” Trailer

#4 – a series of commercials from the animation studio Bent Image Lab

#5 – Leverage Location Video

#6 – Behind the Scenes of “Grimm” Continue reading... “Recorded Webcast of Annual Meeting Available”

Elemental Technologies receives award for Innovation in Media Arts

It sounds like a cliché but it’s very true.  Innovation is a key ingredient to future economic growth.  This is as true in the media industry as it is any other.   Over the past few years Oregon has seen several promising media technology companies start up.  One such company is Elemental Technologies, which is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.  Founded in 2006 by CEO Sam Blackman, Chief Technology Officer Jesse Rosenzweig, and Chief Architect Brian Lewis, Elemental has raised over $16 million in financing, which has directly resulted in Elemental’s rapid ascension to become one of the world’s leaders in software designed for video content creation.  Continue reading... “Elemental Technologies receives award for Innovation in Media Arts”