CGTarian at CTN!!

Hey folks, come visit us at the CGTarian booth at CTN this weekend. Nov 21-23
I'll be there all day Friday Nov. 21 answering questions and meeting with anyone who'd like to chat!

CGtarian is LIVE!

Hi Everyone,

Where has the year gone. I've been super busy working on several projects. The first I'd like to mention is our online animation school at cgtarian.com We have had our doors open for the last year and enrollment has slowly grown each semester.

I've have a few semesters teaching and have found my students to be very inspiring and passionate. It's really great to have a course all my own and be able to teach the skills new students need to create a strong foundation in their animation work. I highly recommend checking out the school and taking a class! Here's our newest on line promo video. It really helps you get an idea of what the school is all about.

Take a class today!

CGTarian Animation & VFX Online School from CGTarian on Vimeo.

Happy 2014!

Hi and Happy 2014 to all.

I've been pretty busy at work. Editing and recording my online classes for CGTarian. I can't wait for the semester to start this coming March 2014. If you're interested in starting your animation career or just looking to brush up on you skills, sign up for a class with our school! If you have questions, please send me an email!

My class focuses on Body Mechanics and the very foundation of movement. I encourage potential students who are interested in becoming a professional animator to check out my class and the variety of classes that the school is providing. It's going to be super exciting to see my students grow and learn from my experience.

I've also been busy working on a few shorts as Animation Directing at Chavvo Studios. The shorts we produced for Logix Banking came out really fun and was a creative and technical learning experience.

Check out the final product!
Logix Crush
Logix Decade Dance
Logix KungFu

All the best to everyone this 2014! Let's dream big and reach for the stars!

@reblynk

Who has a twitter account?? That's right! I do.
follow me:  @reblynk

Interview

Check out my latest online interview. It's featured on a site about women animators. We are few, but we are out there! Here's a little more about me for those interested. Rebecca's Interview

CGtarian is open for business!

I constantly get emails asking for advise about the animation industry and how to get in or what does it take to work at a big studio. The answer is: hard work and skill. Having said that, there are a few places I often recommend student go study. Well, here's the newest one! It's called CGtarian.com. I along with some really talented animation co-workers have created a curriculum for beginners - intermediate - and advanced students and professional animators.

My specific course is called "Characters in Motion: Intro to Body Mechanics" I encourage any students and/or professionals looking to polish their skills or get into the animation industry to sign up for a class. The best part about this site is that you can take any course you like at any time, there's no obligation. The courses range from very beginner like "Animation Bootcamp: Intro to Animation" to "Pushing the Limits: Cartoon Animation".

I highly recommend these courses if your interested in animation. The classes consist of a weekly tutorial/video accompanied by an assignment. These courses are all developed and taught by industry professionals. You can take any course for 12 weeks and then be done. Or continue by signing up for another topic interests you. There are no grades, just upfront and honest feedback and weekly critiques based on your assignment by a professional animator! It doesn't get any better than that!

Sign up today!

Hang Gun!

Here's another test my David created. Pretty impressive since he just learned AfterFX.
Not to worry... I wasn't really hurt in the filming of this video. It was quite fun to act out!

Facebook King song and video!

I wanted to update everyone with the latest project I'm a part of. It's called Facebook King and it's a fun whimsical song based on that person we all know who lives on facebook. It's the creation of David Stodolny (of stodoestudios.com) and Reston Williams (of BlueMan Group). They've paired up to create this hilarious song and video. I've had the pleasure of co-Producing this fun project and am very proud of the end result. I look forward to many more productions together.

Please check out their new comedy production studio Secondary Inspection. If you love the video you also have the opportunity of downloading the song for your music collection on itunes or amazon! Check out their site for more info! Here's the video!

I am Art

For those interested in what's going on lately, here's the latest animation by David Stodolny. I was so excited to be a part of it by Producing it. By all means, David did ALL the hard work, I just helped schedule him out and plan the execution of it. It was a really fun project to work on. Check it out and please share with your friends!!

Lucasarts Closed.

A sad day in the industry.

This week an industry icon closed it's doors. Lucasarts is no more.

I have to say, I spent some of my most memorable years working at that studio. Even though I haven't worked there in close to 10 years, I feel as though it will always be a part of me in a special way. I made some of my best friends there. I miss you all. And I have no doubt you will all land on your feet.

Rest in Peace LucasArts. You will always be my first love.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lucasarts-gaming-studio-shuttered-disney-article-1.1307749

What if Money didn't matter?

What if money didn't matter? I've been pretty busy with work and life in general so I haven't had a chance to update my blog for months. For those who continue following me. Here's a little bit of wisdom brought to you by Alan Watts. They really are words to live by. Do what you love and do it often. You will be a much happier person for it. And money...that will come, but first needs to come the passion and love.

Happy Holiday's everyone!

CNN Interview with Dreamworks CEO

Here's a really great interview with our CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. He has some really great insight into what makes a company successful. Take a look.

Footage-Loose

Ever wonder what a bunch of animators do in their free time? Well... it's not exactly free time, but it's time well spent. I think most people can relate to this awesome short Directed by David Stodolny and Steve Meyer, two amazing animators and fellow co-workers at Dreamworks. I was honored to be a small part of this fun live action project. Check it out!

Panda 2 and Puss Nominated for an OSCAR

Congratulations to everyone involved in making these films amazing. It was a true honor and dream to have worked on such great films. And now to be recognized... that's just amazing.

Check out the video of all the noms.

Harrey Podder: Say the Magic Word

For all those Harry Potter fans here's a real treat. In honor of the final film coming out, my boyfriend David Stodolny has created an amazing 2d short spoofing this world. Check out the funny short and feel free to repost if you like it!



And then don't forget to check out THE MAKING OF video. I don't know which I like better?!?

Turbo : Dragons : ianimate

So much has been going on in the last few weeks. I've officially wrapped up animation the Dragon's Holiday Special coming out this Christmas. Keep an eye out for it. And hopefully I'll be able to post more soon.

In the meantime, I've been cast on my next film called TURBO. Here's a link to AWN which talks a little bit more about it. AWN: Dreamworks TURBO I'm currently doing some performance and acting tests and getting to work with Head of Character Animation Dave Burgess again, which is really great. I find him and his work very inspiring. I'll have more info in the months to come.

In addition I've decided to start teaching at ianimate.net. I'm really excited to be involved with Jason Ryan again. He has started an online animation workshop called ianimate.net It's similar to animation mentor, only it's NOT a school. It's a workshop where students from around the world and any level of experience can join and refine their animation skills. There's a lot of great work being done here and I think it gives a really good alternative to those who might not be able to commit to an 18 month course at AM. Don't get me wrong Animation Mentor is a GREAT school, I went and taught there myself so I highly recommend it! However, ianimate is another option for those who are thinking of just taking a specific level workshop. Check out the site for more info! www.ianimate.net

'Kung Fu Panda 2' Featurette - "Animating Pandas"

Check out this very cool featurette on the Production Team's trip to China. They got to meet real panda's and experience their world first hand.

Puss n Boots

There's a new trailer out for the next Dreamworks movie. I didn't get a chance to work on this film but I have a few friends who did. I've also seen some sequences from the film and they are looking amazing. The animation in this film is truly breathtaking. Check out the Trailer and lemme know what you think!

Physics of Animation

Here's a cool video I found on the net profiling some great artists here at Dreamworks talking about Physics in Animation. If you're going to be a great animator you *have* to know your physics first.

Extra News - Latina animator on a roll with ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’

Extra News - Latina animator on a roll with ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’

Check out another interview with me about Panda 2. This one's in English so most of you guys can read it. Cheers and if you haven't already, go see PANDA 2!!


Latina animator Rebecca Perez on a roll with ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’
by Kiko Martínez | trad. Víctor Flores

Working as an animator for DreamWorks Animation Studios since 2009, Rebecca Pérez has been part of the creative team known for making such well-received films as “Megamind” and the Oscar-nominated fantasy adventure “How to Train Your Dragon.”

In her third animated film with DreamWorks, Pérez, who has also worked as an animator during her four-year career with Walt Disney, Sony Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox, takes on a new challenge in “Kung Fu Panda 2,” the sequel to the highly-entertaining 2008 animation about a chubby panda bear named Po (Jack Black) who learns a prophecy has identified him as the Dragon Warrior.

In the “Panda 2,” Po must lead the Furious Five – Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross) – to defeat a villainous peacock known as Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Along with showing off his martial arts prowess, Po is given the opportunity find out more about his family roots.

During an interview with EXTRA, Pérez, who is Cuban-American, talked about the character she grew most attached to in “Kung Fu Panda 2” and the moment in her life when she knew she wanted to be an animator.

EXTRA: What was your specific role as an animator on “Kung Fu Panda 2?”

Rebecca Pérez: I had the opportunity to work on most of the characters – Tigress and the rest of the five [main characters] as well as some of the others like the sheep.

Is it easy to get attached to these characters after working on them for so long?

You definitely get attached especially if you get to work on one particular character more than the others. I actually got attached to the sheep character, which is interesting because I don’t think she even has a name.

What was it about the character that you liked so much?

I think it was because I just got to work with her so much. The majority of her scenes were all my shots. I also felt for her because she has so much innocence. There was a lot of emotion in her character.

What kinds of cartoons did you grow up watching as a kid?

I watched all sorts of Saturday morning cartoons like “The Smurfs.” I really like the short animations that were funny and whimsical.

Did you watch cartoons like any other kid would or did you feel there was more to them on an artistic level?

I don’t think it was until later in life when I saw “The Little Mermaid” when I realized there was more to it like storytelling and performance. I knew right away I wanted to be part of that.

So, was that the moment you knew you wanted to be an animator?

Actually, the point in my life where I knew that was when I saw an animated TV commercial for Listerine that I would later find out was made by Pixar before they were know for making films. When I saw it at the time, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking at. When I saw that animated bottle of mouthwash it transformed animation into something I had never seen before. I wanted to know how they did it.

What does it feel like when you finally get to see all your hard work as a final product on the big screen?

It’s very moving especially when you have kids around you laughing. Seeing it with an audience is so refreshing. It definitely enriches the whole experience.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson breaks new ground

Jennifer Yuh Nelson breaks new ground
There aren't very many women in the field of Animation and even less who've held the title of Director. Here's a great article about Jenn Yuh Nelson our Director on Kung Fu Panda. She really has been one of the best directors I've worked with. Although gender plays it's roll in who and what we become in life, at least as far as society tells us. Jenn (as a person and individual) is a fantastic Director always taking our work and adding her insight to make it better. Thank you Jenn for letting me be a part of such a fantastic film and team.

AOL Latino.

Here's a cool little online interview for AOL Latino. For those who don't understand Spanish, the interview is about Latino's working as artists in the Animation Industry and in this case at DreamWorks on Kung Fu Panda 2.

Here's the full AOL Latino Online article

Sabía usted que Dreamworks recluta talento de creadores latinos para sus películas?
Cuando pensamos o hablamos de artistas, nos imaginamos un Picasso, Monet o talvez un Van Gogh. Pero, y que de los procreadores del Panda Kung Fu? Aunque parezca un poco divertido, este tipo de arte animado ha fundado una nueva generación de creadores de películas. Particularmente en países latinoamericanos donde los artistas talentosos son reclutados para trabajar en los estudios de Dreamworks.

Alberto Corral, Manuel Almela, Manuel Aparicio, Sean Eckols y Rebecca Pérez han sido incluidos como parte de la nueva ola de artistas latinos. Cada uno tiene su propia historia en particular, pero el tema primordial que tienen en común, es que si tienes el talento, tú lo puedes hacer.


Video producido por Carlos M. De La Vega

Aunque suene bastante simple, ustedes escucharan en el video que la perseverancia, juega un papel muy importante en el desarrollo de este talento. Especialmente, si vives en un país deficiente de escuelas especializadas a enseñar este tipo de arte.

Así que, si tu ere padre de un niño/niña que desea ser artista y crees que esto sería muy difícil de lograr, piensa de nuevo. Este sendero ya está establecido, solo se necesita un pequeño empuje para salir adelante.

Ali Villavicencio Escritor AOL Noticias

Panda 2 Premiere & Cast and Crew Party

Like the title of this post states this past weekend we had our Crew screening on Panda 2. It was incredible. The studio rented out the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal to screen the film and then immediately after we had our Wrap Party on the Universal lot. I even got to see Jeffrey and take a picture. We were also treated with a surprise visit by Jack Black who thanked us all for our hard work, which, as he said, he would take full credit for in every interview. He's a very sweet fun guy and we could tell he was genuinely proud to be part of this film, as we all are.

Now, having seen the whole film completely finished I have to say, I'm soooo proud to have been a part of it. I would even go as far as to say that I found it to be even better than the first! And I'm a HUGE fan of the first film. There are tons of laughs, action, and heartfelt moments all over this film. There's something for the whole family. I've already seen the completed film twice and I can't wait to see it again this Friday.

On a side note, in addition to all the fun events with the screening, I also got to be a part of this films press marketing. They asked me to do some phone and on camera interviews for this coming week about my experience on the film. Hopefully I'll have more to report this week and maybe some links to video's that I can post here. The whole experience was extremely fun and exciting especially when I get to talk about such an amazing film.

Congratulations to Director Jen Yuh Nelson and the whole Kung Fu Panda 2 Team.

Dreamworks on The TODAY Show

The TODAY Show launches a new segment called "Give Me The Keys TODAY" And the goal is to pull back the curtain and see the behind the scenes in how different people and companies work. Today their segment is all about Dreamworks and what goes on in our studio. It's a pretty cool video, I recommend checking it out! A few of my coworkers and friends made it in the video even my foosball nemesis Adam Strick made it on camera (he's the one playing foos... lol) Congratulations to all the hard working folks who made the cut including my good friend Steve Meyer who animated the last couple of "Puss" shots in this clip.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Welcome Back to ReBlog!

First and foremost I'd like to let everyone know that I'll be updating this blog in the next month or so. So please be patient and you happen to come across some broken links, please let me know.

In the meantime I just want to update folks on the latest news and happenings with me. I just wrapped up animation on Kung Fu Panda 2 and the film has come out beautifully. If you loved the first, like I did, then you'll be more than happy with the sequel. I had a chance to animate Po as well as the furious 5 on a sequence called "A city without Kung Fu". I'll give more details once the film has come out.

Until then check this awesome little treat video on the how we make all this magic happen at one of the worlds top 10 companies Dreamworks Animation!

ReHaul!

New update coming soon!

Dragon's

Hi ... wow it's been a while since I've updated my Blog. I guess I've been pretty busy lately. I just wanted to post a link and update folks on my latest happenings. Ever since wrapping up on Cloudy last year I began working at DreamWorks. It's been pretty incredible and this is by far the best studio I've worked at. I just wrapped up animation on How to Train your Dragon which comes out in two week! Please go see it!

Here's a link to the latest amazing trailer. Keep coming by cause I'm gonna get back on this blog and try and update at least once a week with updates. For those of you who still come by thank you, and those who may be knew I hope you pass by again real soon. Cheers! And happy Dragon training!

CLOUDY!

Go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs TODAY!!

New Gig!

Hi all... it's been a while since I've updated my blog. So much news to catch up on. I wrapped up animation on Cloudy a couple of months ago and took a well needed vacation home to spend some time with the folks and close friends. I'm now well rested and ready to begin my next adventure!

This week I started at DreamWorks Animation Studios. This place is amazing! So many GREAT artists and friends are here I feel like I'm at home! Once my training is complete I'll begin animating on How to Train Your Dragon... in Theaters in Spring 2010. Here's a pic and link to more info on the film.

Cloudy Trailer

Check out the latest on the film I'm working on, called Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Stay tuned for more coming this Fall!

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Today we had a rare chance of screening Nick Park's latest short Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death. I love seeing those characters and this new short brings with it some more fun British humor and slap stick.

Check out this small clip:


If you want to get more info go to the Wallace & Gromit website!

Bolt nominated for an OSCAR!!!

Round 2!! How exciting! Bolt was just nominated for the OSCAR of Best Animated Feature Film!
Thanks to everyone for your emails and posts! Also, congratulations to Panda and Wall-e for their nominations as well!

The Dawn of a New Day

Congratulations to our new President Barack Obama and his family Michelle, Malia, and Sasha. Here's to a future of Hope here in the US and around the world!

Golden Globes - Presenting Best Animated Feature Film

I thought I'd share a small bit of cool news... Even though Bolt didn't win the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film... They showed a clip of each nominee and my shot was included in the presentation clip! It's the one of Mittens (the cat) saying "Aaaand stick your tongue out." I can't tell you how shocked and excited I was!! Check out the clip below.

A First Look at Cloudy

Here's a first look at the new film I'm working on. It's Sony Animations next Animated Feature Film Co-Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Best known for their work on "How I met your Mother" and creators of TV Cartoon "Clone High".


So far the film's been a dream to work on. Very funny and animated! Can't wait to be able to share more in the coming months. Click on the image for a detailed article.

Bolt Nominated for GOLDEN GLOBE!

How exciting! Bolt was just nominated for Best Animated Feature Film!

Congratulations to Panda and Wall-e for their nominations as well!

For a full list of nominees click on the image

Disney's BOLT - OPENS TODAY!!!

GO SEE BOLT ... It opens today!! November 21st!

A few of of my friends and family have asked what shots I animated in the film, so I decided to post a list of my contributions. It was a blast working on Bolt and by far, it's the film I'm most proud of to date. I think Disney's got a hit on their hands. If you get a chance, please go check it out!!

BOLT - My Shot List

-I animated the section of the moving train when Bolts leash gets caught and he's starts tugging and pulling. Mittens yells "Bolt" and Rhino yells "let go you monster!" Then Bolt's collar snaps.

- The two shots right after the escape from the Pet Shelter where they come up to the edge of the highway. The shot with all 3 characters where Rhino says " Ohhh... i've got a BIG one!"

- In the traveling house when Mittens is teaching Bolt how to be a dog. At the end of the sequence the 2 shots of Mittens saying. "Aaaand stick your tongue out." And then the next shot where she's licking her paw and says: "Nah... it's more of a dog thing."

- At the end of the movie during the fire sequence when we see Penny on the floor look up at Bolt and he takes the leash and starts dragging her. That whole section up to (but not including) the part where she falls down on the floor gasping for air.

Cheers,
~reb

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!

I'm all full of updates lately. After wrapping up on Bolt and taking a much needed break from work. I'm now more refreshed than ever and ready to start back up animating! Along with Mentoring at AM, I've started work at Sony... I'm animating on "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"!

I can't even begin to express how inspiring this film looks... it's not for everyone, but I for one LOVE the style and look of the characters and animation! It's completely a dream project for me and I'm so happy to be working on it! Check out the latest word in this online article.

Coming Soon... Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cheers and Happy Halloween all!

got AM Mentor?

I have some great news! I'm back at Animation Mentor.com!!! However this time, I'll be a mentor. I'm so excited to get back into the amazing culture which has brought such passion to the animation community and to my own work.

If your interested in becoming an animator... i HIGHLY recommend this school! Click on the image to check out the site for more info:

Madrid and new friends!

Mando much saludo's a mi amigos en Madrid! Gracias por todo, David y Patricia!!

Hi folks! Here's a pic of my friend David Alvarez and his "mujer" Patricia. They were kind enough to meet up and show us a great time around Madrid. I couldn't have asked for a better tour guide of the city and local scene.

By the end of the night we'd had quite a bit to drink but I still remember what a great night we had catching up!

... more pictures and posts to come when I find time ...

BOLT ANIMATION IS A WRAP!!!

BOLT is COMPLETE!

Well.... at least animation is! What a production, full of amazing work and incredible people. Every moment on Bolt has been an adventure...stressful and exhausting at times.... but awesome nonetheless.

So what now you ask?!?! A much needed vacation! I'll be traveling for the next couple of months.... catching up with old friends and exploring Spain and Italy!! (If anyone reading has any recommendations or advise shoot'em my way, I'd love to hear'em.)

I started my long overdue vacation with a brisk walk around the Hollywood Hills with my baby Rocco! Here's a cute picture I managed to snap while we were taking a breather.



I have friends and family who visit the blog so I'll certainly be updating it with a few pictures and details from my adventure. Keep an eye out!

Who is Rocket Johnson?

Last week we had a book signing party for "WHO IS ROCKET JOHNSON?" a graphic novel that the Disney Story Artists put together. It's a pretty amazing book, illustrated and designed by the top artists in the industry. I managed to snap a cool pic with my best friend (and amazing story artist/character designer) Tron Mai and Director of the up coming film RAPUNZEL (not to mention legendary animator of Tarzan) Glen Keane!

Overall a great event... thanks to all the Disney artist that help put this together!

Princess & the Frog

Here's a treat for all you 2D animation fans! It's the latest teaser trailer for the upcoming Princess and the Frog film.... very cool stuff.

Here's a film called "Yellow Sticky Notes" by Jeff Chiba Stearns. I came across this short film here at work and found it profoundly moving. We all focus intensely on our day to day lives often loosing sight of the bigger picture and larger world events. Check it out... what have you missed?

Where in the world is Matt?

This just made me smile... so i hadta share. Enojy!!

Wall-E + BOLT trailer!

Here's a great little treat... THE NEW BOLT TRAILER! It'll be playing in front of WallE, but here's a sneak peek in case you can't wait ;) I saw WallE last weekend in a special work screening and I thought it was amazing. Another job well done from the guys at Pixar. Keep up the inspiring work!

Presto Teaser

Here's a clip from Pixar's latest short film... due to come out in front of wall-E this weekend! Pretty cool... very... Tex Avery ... Chuck Jones ... style. Check it out!

The Animators Survival Kit - VIDEOS

Check it out... this is pretty sweet! I had the chance to take Richard Williams lecture class before he wrote his book and I found it to be amazing. Full of insightful wisdom and enthusiasm. I thought, "damn... every animator should get a chance to see this for themselves!" Of course his book came out and it pretty much says everything his lecture did... but without the added live aspect and entertainment that only a face to face lecture could give you.

So here's the next best thing!! ONLINE videos!! I live for this stuff!

Click on the image.

Dale Baer

We had a company meeting a few days ago and I was lucky enough to sit next to the legendary animator (and good friend) Dale Baer.... I took this fun little camera phone pic to capture the moment!

...if you haven't already done so... go check out his online/podcast interview at the Animation Podcast by Clay Kaytis! (Click on the image for link)

Real or Fake Smile?

Can you tell a real smile from a fake one? A fellow animator here at work sent out this link. It's fascinating to see if you can tell the difference. How many can you get right?

It's by author, Paul Ekman, who wrote the excellent book "Telling Lies."

Here's a pretty insightful article on BOLT as well as details on the next features coming out of both studios... Rapunzel, The Princess and the Frog, UP, Newt, The Bear and the Bow, Cars 2, and King of the Elves!

the 9th old man

A heartfelt goodbye to the last of the nine old men... Ollie Johnston passed away yesterday. He was 95. I had the pleasure of meeting Ollie a couple of years ago at his Birthday Party here at Disney Animation.

He will be dearly missed.

Disney Pixar Line up....

In case a few of you might not know... here's the latest line up of films coming out of Disney/Pixar! Some really cool projects!!

Zen - Doggy

I came across this pic and thought it was so moving I hadta share.

Horton Hears a Who!

Go see it!

The movie came out great... animation, visual development, and story are all amazing! It was amazing to be a part of such an amazing crew, yet again. I'll post my contributions to the film at a later date. 'Til then... enjoy the film!

Golden Compass WON!!

Wow... what a trip! Golden Compass WON the OSCAR for Best Visual FX!! It goes without saying, but every film is a "team" effort. Congratulations to all involved... it is a true honor to have been a small part of it.

Oscar Nominated

I found this really funny and kinda cool. A fellow animator congratulated me today on being an "Oscar Nominated Animator". I said... what? He said well Golden Compass has been nominated for a "Best Visual Effects" OSCAR... and since I worked on it... it inadvertently makes me... an "Oscar Nominated Animator".

It's a stretch... I know.... but still pretty cool I think!

Best of luck to all the Nominees!

Happy 2008!

I've been seriously neglecting my site for the past few months. I'll try an be better about updates.

After a few months in New York animating on Horton, I'm now back at Disney Animating on BOLT their latest animated feature coming out Winter 2008. I'm super excited to be back in the halls of the mouse house and working on such an incredible film. I can't wait for everyone to check out all the great work going on here.

In the meantime... keep an eye out for Horton Hears a Who ... coming to theater's in the US in March!! My experience at Bluesky was absolutely amazing. I really learned a lot about animation made some great friends and experienced the Big Apple like I never imagined I would. Thanks to everyone who made my experience there a good one!

Cheers!

Wow. It's been quite a while since my last post. Well lots going on.
Since my last post I wrapped up animation at Rhythm & Hues and now
I'm working on Horton Hears a Who? at Bluesky.

Learning tons! This place is amazing and the film incredible.

Glen Keane

I came across a really great site with very inspirational work from Glen Keane. Most folks may have already seen this, but for those who haven't... check it out!

latest and greatest.

Hi folks, sorry it's been a while since I've updated the blog. Lot's going on and work is getting more and more busy these days....

Here's the latest film I'm working on "Golden Compass". Based on a book by Award winning writer Philip Pullman.

The animation is looking amazing! Be on the lookout for a suh-weeet trailer in front of "Pirates" next week.

Bush Scandal Collector Plate

I know this is funny and all... but geez how many scandals can one president be a part of and STILL be president!?!

MTR Animation Tests

For those interested.... here are some of the animations test and sculptures I created while working on Meet the Robinson's.

Jason Ryan Animation!!!

Hey folks... not sure how many peeps already know about this, but Jason Ryan, my AM class 2 mentor and Disney Supervising Animator is starting up an online tutorial site. I'm fortunate enough to be working with Jason on his venture... so I can tell you first hand how cool this is coming together! The official site should be up by the end of the year! SO....Go sign up for his mailing list NOW and be among the first to get updates and goodies!!

Meet the Robinson's

OPENS TODAY!!!

-Amsterdam Part II- Coffee Shops and Red Light District

Onto the lighter portion of our holiday in Amsterdam. Today we really had nothing planned except to explore the city and sight see different areas. So we walked around all the small shops in the Rembrandt Plaza area and main road. I was a trip just to people watch and check out all the folks riding bicycles! We hit a few more Coffee Shops and met some locals in the area. It was a pretty laid back day...

Later at night we met up with our friend Tony and got to check out the much anticipated "Red Light District". I wasn't sure what to expect.... boy, this was one eye opening experience for sure. For the few who may not know what this place is about.... well... think of sex as a business.... yep.... soliciting sex is completely legal... as is many many other things just like smoking marijuana.... This place is undescribable in words... you really hafta be there and see if for yourself to get it.

Amsterdam is a pretty Liberal town... that's all I hafta say about that. ;)

London then.... Amsterdam!

This was our last day in London and was pretty muggy... rainy and cold... but that didn't deter us from heading to Buckinham Palace and witnessing the chaning of the guard. What a ceremony.... it took about 45 min for the traditional soldiers to march up to the tower while playing instuments as they walked. They set up inside the gates and put on a show for all the traveler from around the world. Cassia took a bunch of pics while I just tried to not freeze my toes off! ;) Seriously... this was by far the coldest day there!

Shortly after the ceremony, we headed off to Harrod's and "Tea Time" at a local hotel. Funny enough, as we sat and had our tea I looked over at the bookcase to see what books they had and noticed the newest Harry Potter. I grabbed it off the shelf and to my surprise was actually signed by J.K. Rowlings and dedicated to the hotel we were at. What a trip. We imagined sitting in the same chair as Rowlings and sipping on tea, as I'm sure she probly did! Cheerio! What a wonderful end to the London portion of our trip!


Click image for more pics of London.

We flew into Schiphol at night and stayed in Den Haag, better know to us American's as The Hague, which was about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam, so we really didn't get to see much of the city that night. The next morning we woke up to a partially sunny day, which was pretty rare in our trip, we hopped on a tram and then the train headed to Amsterdam. The train ride was perfect we got to see a good portion of the Holland country side, which is absolutely breathtaking. The train dropped us off smack dab in the center of Amsterdam and we were ready for our adventure in another city!

We decided to head straight to the Anne Frank Museum/House. I guess I really wasn't sure what to expect here and mentally I was concentrating on not getting lost that I really didn't think about what we were actually going to be seeing. Once we got to the area it was unusually empty, we later realized that we came on a perfect day when there wasn't a huge crowd. I'll tell ya... this was by far the most moving part of my trip to Europe. Up to this point we'd seen artwork and landmarks that were breathtaking... this one... was... mentally and physically heartbreaking. The whole Museum recreated Anne and her family's every step and walks you though the entire house including the small area that they all hid for nearly 2 years! For the next hour I couldn't speak.... and I found myself shedding a few tears for what, not only Anne's family went through, but for what all the Jewish families must have had to deal with during this time. I hope that they all can find some peace in their lives... and that we never forget. I'll leave it at that.

It was hard to keep going after Anne's house, but there was so much more to see in this beautiful city... so we marched on to the Van Gogh's Museum. I had never realized that Van Gogh had only been an artist for roughly 10 years... and in that time created some 200 paintings, 500 drawings! Wow!

Next we were off to Rembrandt's House! This was another amazing tour. They walked you through his whole house filled with original paintings. His house was quite a site... and pretty impressive for the times. As an artist we're usually more financially successfull after death.. but Rembrandt was actually pretty popular in his day and used his house as a gallery as well... entertaining clients! Pretty cool!

What's a visit to Amsterdam without going to a traditional Coffee House! On to our last stop we headed to "The Greenhouse". We had some delicious coffee and entertained ourselves with the lovely views! Nuff said. ;)


Click image for pics of Amsterdam.

-London Part III- Shakespeare, Crown Jewels, and St. Pauls Cathederal

Tower Bridge - Click image for more pics

We woke up to a pretty beautiful day. The sun was actually sunny outside (partially) so we decided to explore the eastern part of London and headed over to the Tower of London . We walked across the Millenium Bridge which drops you of right in front of the St. Paul's Cathederal. What a breathtakin' view of this church and the Thames River. On our way to the Tower we also passed by Shekespeares Theatre. We took a tour and got to actually walk around the inside of the theatre. Even though this is a recreation of the original theatre that burned down centuries ago... it was pretty authentic down to every detail. And even in the contruction of the building they used only material and equipment that were available in the time of Shakespeare. The tour guide also walked us up to the booth in which Queen Elizabeth II sat to watch the very first play when the new theatre opened a few years ago in the late '90's. pretty cool indeed.

After the Shakespeare Theatre we took a long and cold walk to the "Tower of London". We passed several bridges along the way and froze our tails off as you'll see in some of the pics. ;) The coolest by far was the "Tower Bridge" It has so much detail and a brillian blue pinstripe detail along the whole edge. It looked more like a castle than a bridge!

At the Tower of London we got to tour around all the different sections of the castle. From the bedrooms to the small cathederal. They even had a section dedicated as a armory. The castle has been used for so many different purposes encluding beheadings and jails that it's rumored to be haunted... boo! HAHA!

By far however, the best part of the Tower was being able to see the Crown Jewels. They are all being displayed permenantely in this area everything from crowns to orbs to swords you'll find it here! Again.... I couldn't take pictures... but you can catch a small glimps of them here.

-London Part II- From Manet to Picasso

Westminster Abbey - Click image for more pics

Our second day found us in the halls of Westminster Abbey. We spent the better part of the morning exploring the resting places of England's many Kings and Queens. This was a pretty amazing building and the detail was exquisit and breathtakin'. Unfortunately, the only picture we were allowed to take was outside the building. In this same area we got to see a great view of Big Ben and the "Eye" of London.... we thought of going on it... but decided we'd rather take a closer look at all the neighborhood instead of the birds eye view.

Later in the afternoon we headed off to London's National Gallery Museum located in Trafalgar Square. We got to see so many iconic paitings and drawings by all the masters from Manet to Picasso. We got to see Vincent VanGogh's "Sunflowers", DaVinci's "The Virgin of the Rocks", and Raphael's "The Madonna of the Pinks", Rembrant's "Self Portrait", Michelangelo's "The Entombement", and my all time favorite, DaVinci's "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist". I think this one moved me the most because I'm facinated with pencil sketch and line drawings. It reminded me of a rough animation drawing. Very very amazing to sit and take a real close look at these paintings.

We were also able to explore the city a little more by taking the tube, London's undergroud subway. I was amazed at how accesible the whole city was with just one railway ticket. And remember to "mind the gap" as they say. ;)

-London Part I- Parthenon, Rosetta Stone, and Cleopatra... oh my!

This being my first trip out of the US I was a bit nervous and excited to be seeing a part of the world I had only read in books or seen in movies. The first place we arrived was the Kennsington Train station out of Hethrow airport in London. We hopped on one of the "black" taxi's and headed toward our hotel. In the cab ride we got to see some cool sights, but what freaked me out the most was the simple things, like driving on the opposite side of the road. I kept mentally trying to adjust, it took me all trip to get use to it... the good news is that we didn't drive at all while in London. Thier public transportation is just amazing and blows LA's out of the water. We stayed in the "SoHo" area near Picadilly Circus. I later realized this is the most centralized area to all the great landmarks and museums.

In short, on our first day we got to head to the British Museum where we got to see so many amazing pieces of art, a section of the actual Parthenon taken from the temple of Athena in Greece, the Rosetta Stone, and the mumified Cleopatra. Here are some pics of our first day in London.

......Cleopatra's Mummy...............Entrance to Tomb.....

..The Rosetta Stone.......British Museum....