CTN Animation Expo

   I almost wasn't able to, but this weekend I got to go to the CTN Expo in Burbank, CA. It was fantastic. There were so many people: students, professionals and gods alike, all sharing the same space and exchanging ideas. I saw a few heroes, like Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Bill Plympton, Ron and John. And gained a few more, like Reno Armanet, Mike Nguyen, and Oscar Grillo

   I attended a workshop with French independent animator Reno Armanet, and learned a bit about running your own studio and remaining unique. My three years of French classes barely scratched the language barrier, but it was a fun class nonetheless. I also got a copy of the Animation Insiders book, full of individual artists' workflow process, signed by Reno. And a print of a character from one of his short films, OA, also signed by him.

   I attended a group conversation with the indy king, Bill Plympton, who shared his thoughts on the outlook of indy animation, and his rules for making a successful short film. I also got a copy of his latest feature, Idiots & Angels, and a doodle of his Guard Dog, both signed by the king himself.

   The most valuable workshop I attended was with Mike Nguyen. Mike graduated from CalArts in the late 80s and has since worked for all the big studios. Recently, he left and started on his own feature film called My Little World. Mike, like me, is a strong believer in traditional animation. His talk was about the various strengths of hand-drawn animation, and how to keep it relevant and fresh. He's all about the content, down to the tiniest atom of each character. Mike animates his characters from the soul, and works his way outward. You can feel his passion for the medium when he's talking about it. He quickly became a hero of mine, and I sure hope to see his film in theaters some day.

An early shot of one of the rows of booths. Later to be filled to the brim until the expo ended two days later.

Myself with the lovely girl that made it possible for me to attend. She was an awesome road trip buddy and hotel roomy.

   Overall, I had a blast. I met hundreds of great artists and was bombarded with ideas. It really opened my mind up. I can't wait 'til next year.