Brodie Rush, Mixed Media Artist in KC

We here at MAPA wanted to thank all the local animators and new friends who joined us for Brodioke Night by taking a little deeper look at our host, Brodie Rush.  This mixed-media artist keeps us wowed on a regular mix of After Effects, video sequences manufactured in his basement studio set and amazing alternative rock rhythms/vocals.  Brodie works on a variety of different projects, from Bubbles & Blankets to his animated rock video Space.

Here's more on the man, the myth, the mystery...

 
MAPA: What is 'Bubbles and Blankets'?

BRODIE: Bubbles & Blankets is an outlet of energy spent to make "comedy" out of my After Effects learning curve.  I needed some way to have tasks for myself to accomplish and a way to get better at the craft without using my laughable skills on more serious projects and looking like a fool.

MAPA : Briefly explain Be/Non and how you use mixed media to create your art.

BRODIE: Be/Non is my band.  We have been together since 1994.  Recordings and audio training seemed like a perfect transition into video work.  Finally the video medium can be attained at home.  Animations have become my recent passion.


MAPA: Tell us about your musical influences and what in your life led you to this calling?

BRODIE: My musical influences are mainly classic rock.  I enjoy all kinds and types of music and they all make it into my music in some way or another.

My mother used to cater concerts for 13 years here in KC when I was growing up.  I was always backstage.  My parents were and still are big concert goers.  They love music.  I think that is what led me to this calling.  Although after trying to "make-it" for years... I have recently decided
that I will still play music and see where it takes me but, creating visual arts and scoring to that, I feel, is the fast track to making a name for myself. 

MAPA: Who is your work aimed at?

BRODIE: All persons throughout the world.  Those with an flair for the arts and an open mind.
I'm not overly concerned to satisfy the mainstream American public at large with my
work with Be/Non or Bubbles,  although I do make animations for commercial work. 
A man's got to be paid right?  Hahaha...

MAPA: Is there anything specific you want to say to your viewers?

BRODIE: Be patient, have an open heart and mind.  I hope you will laugh or get some kind of emotion from it.  Positive or negative, it's still an emotion.  I'm kind of a wacky person, so, if you're wacky too, I just might appeal to you.

Thanks so much Brodie for the update.  We'll check in with you again soon.

Catching Up with Arie

Catching Up with Arie

The West Coast Adventures of
MAPA Artist Arie Monroe

This month, we catch up with MAPA Director Arie Monroe and her personal adventures in becoming a Hollywood animator.

For those of you who don't know, Arie took her amazing talents to Los Angeles recently...not an easy thing for a girl leaving her family here in Kansas City. But Arie says she plans to learn what she can from the big boys and then use those skills back here at home. 

For now, she learns dozen of new faces each day as a caricature artist at the Universal Studios theme park.  (Word is she is also moonlighting as a character clean-up artist for an undisclosed studio. She can't say where MAP-Animaniacs but trust us when we say it's a big one.)

"I love drawing caricatures," Arie says. "You really get to interact with a variety of people and personalities and you learn to add their personality traits to the drawing of them. They really enjoy when you pull out their personality in the illustration. ...Animation is like acting with a pencil."

We asked Arie to give us the lowdown on her California adventure.

"My work has started evolving again, Monroe says.  "I felt like when I was in Kansas City my work became stagnant. So this is good."

Here is the rest of the interview:

MAPA: How has life changed for you since moving west?

MONROE: Well one of the major changes is I went from a freelance artist to a full time job. Currently I work as a Caricature artist at Universal studios while I look for animation work with my main focus being on character design, story and clean up. I had a friend that recommended my work and I got a little freelance stuff which I do after I get home from my other full time job. I am trying to get myself stable and soon I want to start updating my blog with new work on a regular basis.

I am also preparing for the CTN Expo. I am looking forward to it because I get to talk to studios directly and hand out samples of my work. Hopefully it will lead to a higher paying animation gig.

MAPA: Have you changed as an artist?

MONROE: My work has started evolving again. I felt like when I was in Kansas City my work became stagnant.  So this is good. The freelance is challenging because I have to think in a very different way from doing spot illustration, sketch cards and caricatures. I am also looking forward to actually animating more.

My roommate is also an animator and we are working on a project together.

MAPA: Tell us a little about what your day is like going from one job to another.

MONROE: I love drawing caricatures. You really get to interact with a variety of people and personalities and you learn to add their personality traits to the drawing of them. They really enjoy when you pull out their personality in the illustration.  It’s not just about drawing what you see but also about drawing what you feel: a very important key to animation.  This allows me to put that into practice. Animation is like acting with a pencil.  Today a friend at work referred to an animator as a really shy actor. In fact many of the people I work with are also aspiring animators and do a variety of art styles including abstract painting and fine arts.

MAPA: How's the commute?

MONROE: I recently bought a bike. Because Cali is pretty warm year round you can get a lot of places on a bike. It’s cool because I can do everything I do with a car. You can really deck out a bike with baskets and lights and mirrors so you can travel around town and do your grocery shopping. I am getting a lot of exercise. My commute to work is about 45 minutes but I hope with training I can get it down to 30 minutes. Buses also have bike racks so sometimes at night if I don't feel safe I can get on the bus for part of my ride home.

MAPA: What are you learning about the process of animation?

MONROE: I am learning a lot about the studio work flow.

I currently do character clean up.  A person designs characters on model and then I clean up the roughs so that they can have time to do other things quickly. It is challenging balancing both to be honest. Sometimes they want artwork literally the next day or two and because I work full time I have to try and get it done as fast as I can.

Last week, I pulled an all-nighter to finish the project by morning and get it turned in and then slept 2 hours before going to Universal for work. 

Because I am freelancing, I don't have to go to the studio.  I just email in the project or Fed Ex if that is necessary.

I feel like I have a lot to learn though.  I have a mentor that has been coaching me through some things.

Overall I am enjoying the adventure of being out west. On my next day off I am planning to visit Little Tokyo for sushi and shopping with some co workers/friends. It’s been fun seeing new things and meeting new people.

Animation Celebration Review: MAPA Loves Bennie and Ike

Thanks to everyone who made the first MAPA Animation Celebration a huge success!  We certainly have a very talented and cutting-edge industry growing right here in the heart of the Midwest.

I am proud to report we had 102 cars show up for our event Saturday night.  Proceeds go to support the ongoing work of CinemaKC and to get MAPA a step closer to our goal of non-profit status.

Thank YOU Kansas City and to Wes and Brian at the Boulevard Drive-in for hosting this amazing event.  We also thank the more than 30 animators who contributed work to this show and will include a full list of all the films this week on the blog.

But before we congratulate those whose work was seen at the Celebration, here are two that got left out.  For whatever reason, the artwork of Bennie Thompson and "Clocked in" by Isaac Ahloe both flaked out of the program.  So in honor of Ike and Bennie, below are some of their work. 

Clocked In: Isaac Ahloe 2011 from KCAI Animation on Vimeo.

Featured MAPA Artist: Juan Arevalo

For this installment of MAPA's featured artist, we take a look at the work of Juan Arevalo, Creative Director at Shojin Studios.

According to his Linkedin bio, Juan began his career at Shojin 13 years ago working on small independent freelance projects.  He eventually worked his way up to Creative Director.   

A graduate of the Art Institute of Illinois in Chicago, Juan has also worked with AMG/West Creek Studios, UMI and Hernandez & Garcia LLC.

Enjoy a slideshow of his work below.

Juan Arevalo Portfolio

View more PowerPoint from Juan Arevalo

Featured MAPA Artist: Eva Louise Hall

This exceptional artist is originally from Ithaca, NY but now resides in the home of MAPA, Kansas City, MO.  Her moniker, Eva Louis Hall. 

Beginning with her junior thesis at KCAI, "Citrouille," Eva has shown a natural eyes for innovation and movement. Below is the evolution of that art, her latest animation reel.

Eva Louise Hall: Animation Reel from Eva Louise Hall on Vimeo.

Animation reel. All content animated and edited by Eva Louise Hall. Music borrowed from Iain Ballamy.

We wish her all the best in her future career.

From Eva's blog:
Eva Louise Hall is a stop motion animator and storyteller. She likes to make lovely things to make people smile, think, and sometimes weep. She works to breathe experience and imagination into the films that she and her puppets create. 

Originally from Ithaca, NY, she currently resides and  produces her films in Kansas City, MO.

Featured MAPA Artist: Corbett Vanoni

Image courtesy: http://corbettvanoni.blogspot.com/

This month, we feature an artist who follows MAPA from the mighty state of 10,000 lakes, Corbett Vanoni.  Corbett is a rare talent who is originally from southern California and now live in the Twin Cities, MN.  His bio says he loves to laugh and to make others do the same.

Along with these great caricatures, Corbett also touts skills in cartoon artistry, illustration and photo retouching.

Check out the rest of his skills on his blog: http://corbettvanoni.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist:Ramon Olivera

We'd like to take a moment to honor the work of one of MAPA's newest members, Ramon Olivera.  His contemporary style brings life to a host of characters.  Feel free to check out his Blog at:

http://www.ramonolivera.com/

All images belong to ©Ramon Olivera

Featured Artist: Jake "GrizzlyJake" Angell Art

Check out the work of MAPA's latest featured artist: Jake "GrizzlyJake" Angell.  He's a real character, (as you can see.)  Click on the links below to learn more about Jake and the amazing work he is doing.  Also, take a moment to welcome this newest artist to our little band.

http://www.jakeangell.com
http://grizzlyjake.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Brandon Waltman

He's an L.A. based animator with roots right here in Kansas City.  Brandon Waltman runs a series of blogs and has an impressive resume fresh out of the Kansas City Art Institute.  Take a moment to look at his resume reel and drop by his blog for more of his captivating work.

B Waltman 2011 Reel from Brandon Waltman on Vimeo.

For more of his work and projects Brandon is working on, here are his blogs:

CAB Thesis Production Blog

Brandon Waltman Portfolio 2009

Brandon Waltman Portfolio

Writing for the Media

Featured Artist : BeeJay Hawn

BeeJay Hawn is a Kansas City local gal with a long history hand drawing caricatures at our very own Worlds of Fun and provided fast paced caricatures at over 500 events in the midwest through her company Oodles of Doodles.

BeeJay has competed in the 2007 NCN minicon, the 2007, 2009, & 2010 ISCA conventions, and the 2008-2011 Cripple Con competitions.
She was awarded the 2009 Cripple Con first place in the theme catagory, then took home the 2nd place Certificate in the Sick & Twisted humour catagory and 3rd place Certificate in the theme catagory at the 2011 Cripple Con competition. She came in the top 11 in the 2009 ISCA speed competition. At the 2010 ISCA competition she came back and worked even harder to come in top 8 in the speed competition and also was awarded 2nd place for Outstanding 3D technique for her caricature cut out shadow boxes.

In March 2010, BeeJay was sketching her daughters for the umpteenth time when she struck upon some character designs that she said, "looked as if it could just get up and walk off the paper.." In the coming weekend, BeeJay said that she was watching TV while doing some household chores and she looked down to see a snake in her living room. "It was as if he was just watching cartoons along with me.." but no, he had to go and no longer was he out the door then another snake popped up under the couch and another through the back door. She put them out and immediately her cat, Sausage, jumped through the window with another in its mouth. As is heard often around her house, she laughed and told the kids, "..and draw it!" Then the idea struck her that some people can take pictures, some scrapbook, and she could make a comic strip. Since March 2010, BeeJay has put out a regular comic showing her sarcastic views on the complex life of a caricature artist.

She wears clean socks every day, love BLTs, and perform Broadway musicals in her shower for standing room only audiences. BeeJay's hobbies include growling at her Chipotles, stealing paint chips from the hardware store, and quoting movies with voices as they play (to the detriment of her friends).
Until the rise of the zombies, she can be found sketching away at her drawing board with her 2 beautiful daughters, Amanda and Truly at her side.

She is available to draw caricatures for either gifts or live at your next event!
You can find more of Beejay on the web at http://beejayhawn.com/ and see more Hobo Stew on her facebook page http://facebook.com/beejay.hawn

Autodesk Education and Training Events at SIGGRAPH 2011

Press Release from Autodesk

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 13, 2011 -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, announced that the company will offer tailored programs and host special events for students and teachers during SIGGRAPH 2011, which occurs August 7, 2011 to August 11, 2011 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. At these events attendees will be able to access the latest information about Autodesk's products and programs, gain fresh insights from industry experts, and network with like-minded students, professionals and industry leaders. During SIGGRAPH, selected presentations and interviews will be streamed live from the Autodesk booth (#429), together with free Autodesk Master Classes available through the AREA community.

Autodesk Student Experience
On Sunday, August 7, 2011 at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, Autodesk will host an exclusive event for students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, with the support of Dell and NVIDIA, with a reception to follow. The Autodesk Student Experience is a series of targeted workshops and presentations designed to improve student skill sets through use of Autodesk 3D animation tools, including Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Softimage software. Students can benefit from a day of classes and one-on-one feedback sessions with Autodesk technology experts while engaging in presentations and seminars led by industry experts, including Duncan Brinsmead, principal scientist at Autodesk, and Carlos Baena of Animation Mentor. Autodesk software will also be running on Dell Precision workstations, equipped with the latest NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics.

Get a complete schedule of the day's events and registration information.

Autodesk Education Summit
Autodesk's annual SIGGRAPH Education Summit, supported by HP and AMD, will take place on Monday, August 8, 2011at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., PST, followed by a cocktail reception. Education professionals will have the opportunity to network with one another, connect with Autodesk executives, discuss industry trends and best practices, and learn more about Autodesk tools and programming. Register.

Autodesk Digital STEAM Workshops for Secondary Education
On Monday, August 8, 2011 at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel from 11:00 am to 12:30 p.m. Autodesk will be hosting an information session about the new Digital STEAM Workshop, offering teachers the opportunity to experience a project-based learning program. Designed for high-school students, the program explores the study of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, through real-time 3D games and easy-to-follow videos guided by industry professionals. Get more information or register.

Professional Education Opportunities at SIGGRAPH
In addition to programs for students and educators, Autodesk will run several programs for professionals throughout the week of SIGGRAPH 2011. During show hours, Autodesk and AMD will be offering training sessions on Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya and Autodesk Softimage software in the AMD booth (#631). In addition to on-site training, the following free Autodesk MasterClasses will be available online beginning August 9, 2011:
• Using 3ds Max in the Realm of Visual Effects, by Joe Gunn
• Rigging and Animation Workflows Using HumanIK and Face Robot, by Jean-Marc Belloncik
• Next-gen 3D Head Creation Techniques, by Laurent M. Abecassis
• Live Animation Binding, by Mark Jackson
These master classes will be exclusively available on AREA. Get more information or register.

Ryan Woodward: “Thought of You”

An animated short I came across by 15 year animation guru Ryan Woodward. It already has had more than 22,000 views. Lets generate a few more for this talented designer.

Thought of You from Ryan Woodward on Vimeo.

From his Blog Bio:

"Ryan Woodward began his career as an animator/designer and storyboard artist in 1995.   He has worked for Warner Brothers Feature Animation, Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Entertainment and Dreamworks Pictures on films such as Space Jam, The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones, Spider-man 2, Spider-man 3, Where the Wild Things Are, Ironman 2, and Cowboys and Aliens.  Ryan has produced and directed 3 short films, The Loch, The Turtle and The Shark and Aliens that have played in over 40 film festivals worldwide.   In 2009, Ryan created 9 animated sequences that play nightly at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii.  Ryan is an assistant professor of the Animation program at Brigham Young University where he teaches storyboarding, figure drawing, visual development and animation.  His latest project, Conte Animated, is an exhibition which includes figurative works and animation.  Ryan has a BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  He is currently a member of IATSE local 800, The Art Directors Guild.  Ryan and his wife, Tiffany, have three little girls, and is an avid cyclist and mountainbiker."

FEATURED ARTIST: Gabriel Carroll-Dolci

From animation to political satire, Gabe does it all.  He works in the digital realm using Flash, US Animation, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & After Effects, Vegas, AS2, 3D Max, Maya and XSI.


Take a peek through Gabe's diverse portfolio (and see if you can spot Whack-a-Man!)

FEATURED ARTIST: Erik Lundy

From his blog:

I’d like to meet folks involved in the manufacture of chicken strips – bonus if you got access to free samples. I make comics, jokes, and movie stuffs. I’ve slung my jokes at the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and the Ice House, as well as various bowling alleys and bars.


I’m featured on National Lampoon Radio, wrote and produced animation with dudes from Ren & Stimpy, the Simpsons and Jackass, as well as the Wolverine & the X-Men cartoon. I’m an associate editor at Plotswithguns.com. I was also a regular contributor to the current events humor app, This Just In, where I hopefully became the only writer to ever get a stripper joke in the Huffington Post.

Currently, I’m in Kansas City, making stuff, eating chicken strips and de-evolving into a dog with thumbs.

FEATURED ARTIST! Steve Daniels: Down the Rabbit Hole

Steve says in his blog:

     "I love to draw.  I have been doing it all my life. It keeps me sane in this crazy world.When i have a pencil in my hand, I have the power to create anything I want. I put on some music and I can go off in any world I want."

Check out some more of his work here.

FEATURED ARTIST: Sakari Singh

From Sakari's website bio:

Sakari Singh hails originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota where she grew up with her sister and mother.  Since seeing her first film (The Lion King) Sakari has been fascinated with the process of animation.  Through her work, Sakari hopes to combine the graphic quality of her illustration with endless narrative and filmic potential of animation.


Senior Thesis Film: Spin Cycle from Sakari Singh on Vimeo.

An Evening with Ray Olsen

by Dylan Harrelson

For the June MAPA meeting Raymond Olsen from Substation K stopped by to highlight his experiences in the local KC animation scene. Olsen’s work has spanned from Major League Baseball, Sonic restaurants, Argosy casinos, and Hallmark just to name a few.

Olsen began his career after graduating from the University of Central Missouri, formerly known as CMSU with a degree specializing in screen-printing. He continued his education with a training class in Tennessee that taught him the fundamentals of Maya, after which Olsen landed a job working with FOX4, his first break in the animation scene. Moving forward, Olsen continued his career working for Real Media, DXD (Dimensions X Design), and finally Substation K.

As Ray told of his experiences working in the industry, he made it apparent that jumping into the animation scene can be much easier than in the past. With online training, tutorials and resources readily available online for free or for very affordable rates.

Ray provided many different resources for animators primarily online and free:

http://www.greyscalegorilla.com/
- Cinema4D training and tutorials

http://www.creativecow.net/
- Various trainings, tutorials, resources for multiple programs

http://www.creativeheads.net/
- Online job search tool for creative media professionals

http://www.cgsociety.org/
- Various trainings, tutorials, resources for multiple programs

http://www.crishdesign.com/
- Ray’s personal recommendation for After Effects training.

To see examples of Ray Olsen’s work you can visit http://www.substationk.com/ or http://www.raymondolsen.com/.

Featured Artist: Megan Curtin

Check out the skillfull art of this upcoming artist.  You can see more of her work on her Facebook page.

Megan's work sent her all the way to California this summer to intern with the talented company Encyclopedia Pictura, who recently completed an animated music video for Icelandic pop artist Björk.  The project, called "Wanderlust," included a complex blend of puppetry, themed costumes, scale modeling, stop-motion, CGI and live action.

Congratulations to Megan.  MAPA is honored to have her with us.