History of Animation: A Cultural Perspective

The Northwest Film Center’s School of Film is offering HISOTRY OF ANIMATION: A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE this spring.

How has animation shaped cultural sensibilities of different societies? What does the international evolution of animation look like and how did a cultural context define that evolution?

The course will cover these topics and more, registration open now!

HISTORY OF ANIMATION: A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Inst: Laura Di Trapani

This informal enrichment class for film lovers and students of cinema (self-appointed or formally enrolled) examines the rich history and evolution of animation from an international perspective, discussing its inventors and innovators and placing a wide range of animators and their works within a cultural context. Continue reading... “History of Animation: A Cultural Perspective”

John Frame: Three Fragments of a Lost Tale

Presented by the Portland Art Museum
FEB 18 – MAY 27, 2012

From now through May 27th, make sure to check out the imaginative art of John Frame on display at the Portland Art Museum. Art, music, poetry, and film come together in his ambitious project The Tale of the Crippled Boy. The end goal of this ongoing project is a feature-length collection of animated and live film vignettes. Three Fragments of a Lost Tale presents his work on this project during the past five years, including installations of his handmade sculptures, stage sets, still photographs, music score, and animated film vignettes. Continue reading... “John Frame: Three Fragments of a Lost Tale”

Portland’s Hinge Digital Creates VFX for Brightwood

http://vimeo.com/36301977

For Hinge Digital, creating the visual effects for Brightwood was a chance to bring Hollywood-caliber visual effects to an independent locally produced short film. Combining themes of childhood innocence and the search for home and family, the film juxtaposes a young girl’s real and imaginary lives. The film veterans at Hinge Digital helped bridge the gap between reality and fantasy.

Director L. Gabriel Gonda brought the film’s rough cut to Hinge Digital Executive Producer Roland Gauthier in November 2011 and presented the challenge: to bring to life a believable, feature-film quality digital mouse in eight live-action shots on a short-film budget. Continue reading... “Portland’s Hinge Digital Creates VFX for Brightwood”

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”

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”

School of Film Offers Claymation with Oscar-Winning Director

http://vimeo.com/24734706

This winter term the Northwest Film Center’s School of Film is offering Stop-Motion Animation/Claymation with Academy Award winning director/producer Will Vinton.

Bring your characters to life with guidance from the Claymation pioneer in this 13 session course. Registration is open now, class begins January 26th, no prior experience is necessary.

Looking for something different than claymation? The School of Film is also offering Computer Animation with Flash, give your two dimensional artwork movement and depth while learning Adobe Flash software. Continue reading... “School of Film Offers Claymation with Oscar-Winning Director”

Hinge Digital: Un-Hinged!

 


Come out for our December 10th event and see what the team at Hinge Digital has been up to recently! From sports cars, footwear and rampaging robots to cheeky space captains, this band of ex-Sony/Disney/Laika/D-Neg stand-outs bring a combination of technical know how and creative imagination that only few companies can claim in their leadership.

Come hear industry stories from  Michael, Roland,Alex & Ramiro as they breakdowns projects while you network with Portland’s finest talent in 3d animation and VFX! Continue reading... “Hinge Digital: Un-Hinged!”

First Tidbits of “ParaNorman” Marketing Start to Roll Out

It looks like Halloween is the season for LAIKA to kick off their marketing campaign for “ParaNorman”.  We found this blog post with the first poster artwork.  And yesterday they set up the “ParaNorman” twitter account.  We’ve also heard rumors that a trailer of “ParaNorman” might be showing in front of some films this weekend but we haven’t been able to confirm.  The film doesn’t debut until August of next year but it’s great to see that LAIKA is already out there drumming up an audience for this film. Continue reading... “First Tidbits of “ParaNorman” Marketing Start to Roll Out”

Bent Image Lab launches into Television Programming with “Jingle All the Way” for the Hallmark Channel

Bent Image Lab, the animation studio behind many successful commercials, music videos, shorts, and visual effects projects is now co-producing long format content for television. “Jingle All the Way”, a stop motion animated show for Hallmark Channel is Bent’s first endeavor into long form animation. Airing November 25th as part of Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas”, “Jingle All the Way” is based off of an original storybook from Hallmark. The show was directed by Bent partner Chel White, produced by Bent’s Executive Producer Tsui Ling Toomer and executively produced by Bent Partner Ray Di Carlo and Hallmark’s Jodi Schade, Diana Stuart, Chad Harris, and Shawn McClaren. Continue reading... “Bent Image Lab launches into Television Programming with “Jingle All the Way” for the Hallmark Channel”

Hinge Digital Works with Sockeye Creative on a new Dick’s Sporting Goods Commercial

Over the last couple of years Hinge Digital has built up an impressive reputation as a go to place for all things animation.  As a result more and more agencies and clients are taking notice.  Recently Hinge worked with Sockeye Creative on this commercial for Dick’s Sporting Goods.

That’s not all they’ve been working on.  Be sure to check out their 2011 reel to get a good idea of all Hinge has to offer.  Their blog also has a more in depth look into their work. Continue reading... “Hinge Digital Works with Sockeye Creative on a new Dick’s Sporting Goods Commercial”