Industry Giants Computer Graphics, Animation and Gaming Forum - Saturday, June 9 in Plano

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Industry Giants Computer Graphics, Animation and Gaming Forum - Saturday, June 9 in Plano
By media release
May 17, 2007

A Bunch of Short Guys and Collin's Applied Graphic Design Technology Department host Industry Giants 2007: Everything in-between computer graphics, animation and gaming forum

DALLAS -- From script to screen - and everything in between - the sixth annual Industry Giants 2007 computer graphics, animation and gaming forum explores what it takes to cultivate and keep an animation and gaming industry in Texas. Industry Giants 2007: Everything In-Between takes place Saturday, June 9, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the John Anthony Theater on the Spring Creek Campus, 2800 East Spring Creek Parkway, Collin College in Plano, TX. A one-day masterclass for students and professionals will be held Friday, June 8, 2007, 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in room C-104 on the Spring Creek Campus. Technical Director Jens Zalzala with Digital Domain will lead a presentation on Procedural Techniques In Visual Effects Production. David Schaub, animation director with Sony Pictures Imageworks will lead a second presentation as part of the masterclass from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. He will discuss the studio's latest animation feature Surf's Up.

Advance tickets for Industry Giants 2007: Everything In-Between are $15 for students and $20 for the general public and can be purchased online at www.industrygiants.org or at the Spring Creek Fine Arts Division office. Tickets at the door will be $20 for students and $25 for the general public. Advance tickets for the masterclass are $40 for students and $80 for professionals and include admission to the forum. Tickets at the door will be $50 for students and $100 for the general public. For questions regarding tickets, please call 972-516-5089 or by email javascript:top.opencompose('tottinger@ccccd.edu','','','').

Hosted annually by Collin's Applied Graphic Design Technology department and the regional animators' guild, A Bunch of Short Guys, Industry Giants 2007: Everything In-Between includes individual presentations by industry professionals followed by a panel discussion on creative approaches and methods. The event features a distinctive lineup of speakers working in all areas of animation and special effects for film, television and games. Speakers for Industry Giants 2007 include:

BRYAN ENGRAM/REEL FX CREATIVE STUDIOS - Managing Animation Production 9:00 to 9:50 a.m.

Animation Supervisor, Bryan Engram is currently finishing commercial spots for Dreamworks' Shrek the Third. His credits include the feature films The Wild, Everyone's Hero, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, shorts Blue Sky's Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty and game cinematics for Halo 2 and Transformers :The Game.

Reel FX has studios in Dallas and Los Angeles. For additional information, please check their website at www.reelfx.com.

ELIZABETH HITT/DIGITAL DOMAIN Making Magic Happen: The Reel Story " 10:00 to 10:50 a.m.

Elizabeth Hitt is Senior Digital Coordinator with the Academy Award winning visual effects house Digital Domain. Her credits include Stealth, Zoom, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Hitcher and the upcoming Transformers. Other film credits include Deep Rising and Mighty Joe Young (Academy Award Nominee 1999), Hollow Man and Spider-Man. For information, about Digital Domain, please see http://www.digitaldomain.com/.

GERARD H. BALDWIN - "A Career in Television Animation" 11:00 to 11:50 a.m.

With more than 55 years experience as an animator and director, Gerard Baldwin has made an estimated 600,000 drawings! He is the recipient of numerous awards including eight Emmy nominations and three Emmy Awards. Gerard Baldwin is the only surviving director of Mr. Magoo, Bullwinkle, and George of the Jungle. Check www.gerardbaldwin.com or http://www.chuckjones.com/artists/gerard_baldwin.php for more information.

LUNCH BREAK 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

RITA STREET/RADAR CARTOONS "Producing Winning Animation" 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.

Rita Street is the president of Radar Cartoons, a producer's representation firm specializing original animation. She is co-producer of The Nicktoons film Festival and Vice President for Development with Mike Young Productions. Rita is the author of several books, including Computer Animation: A Whole New World. Her current animated series, Ruby Gloom, was featured in the Annecy Festival (France) and Cartoons on the Bay Festival (Italy). Please find details at http://www.radarcartoons.com.

STEVE GACONNIER/JANIMATION, INC. "Creating Success" 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.

Steve opened his own studio at the age of 23. Today, Dallas-based Janimation is nationally recognized as a talented and industrious company known for their work for clients including Fox Sports, Nokia, Pennzoil, Miller Brewing, McDonalds, Subaru, Pepsi, Adidas, Midway Entertainment. Feature film work includes Spy Kids II, Spy Kids 3D, The Ringer.

For additional information, please check their website at http://www.janimation.com/.

RANDY PITCHFORD/GEARBOX SOFTWARE "Game Development: Creativity and Budgets" 3:30 to 4:20 p.m.

Randy Pitchford is president and CEO of Gearbox Software. Pitchford directed, produced and/or was executive producer for Half-Life, Opposing Force, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Halo: Combat Evolved PC. In March of 2005, Gearbox launched the franchise Brothers in Arms, making it the best selling WWII action game released on the Xbox system. For details see http://www.gearboxity.com/ or http://www.gearboxstudios.com.

KATY DAIGER/TEXAS FILM COMMISSION AND J. SCHUH/SHORT GUYS COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR

Texas Industry Showcase Reel and Panel Discussion 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Katy Daiger with the Texas Film Commission, a division of the Governor's Office, will lead a presentation about the commission and its role in supporting the media industries in the state. Along with J. Schuh, they will present a showcase reel of the animation, games, and visual-effects being produced in Texas. Schuh will also discuss the latest developments of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance, a state-wide advocacy organization for the film, video, interactive, and digital media industries. The showcase reel was compiled by Don Stokes of Post Asylum.

Check http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/film for details.

JENS ZALZALA/DIGITAL DOMAIN Masterclass: Procedural Techniques in Visual Effects Production

Jens Zalzala will lead a masterclass as part of Industry Giants on Friday, June 8th (see above). He is a technical director at Digital Domain. He just completed work as an effects lead on Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Other film credits include Flags of Our Fathers, Stealth, The Day After Tomorrow, Star Trek: Nemesis, and Time Machine. Details are available at http://www.digitaldomain.com/.

David Schaub/Sony Pictures Imageworks Masterclass: Directing Animation for Surfs Up

Animation Director, David Schaub will lead a presentation as part of the ,masterclass on Friday, June 8th. He is currently finishing work on Sonyā€(tm)s second animated feature, Surf's Up. Schaub's credits include work on the feature films The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and the award-winning Polar Express. Additional credits include the Academy Award nominated films Hollow Man and Stuart Little. For details please visit http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/surfsup/index.html.

The Applied Graphic Design Technology department at Collin College is a graphic design and new media discipline within the Fine Arts division. Academic degree and certificate programs include: graphic design, 3D animation, digital video, web-interactive media and game art and animation. The fulltime faculty is joined by over twenty associate faculty who bring current industry expertise into the classroom. For information contact AGDT Professor, Tom Ottinger, tottinger@ccccd.edu, 972-516-5089 or visit www.ccccd.edu.

A Bunch of Short Guys (ABOSG) is a non-profit organization that fosters education and career development for students and professionals in the animation and visual effects industry. The group hosts free monthly meetings on the third or fourth Saturday of the month. In addition, ABOSG presents Industry Insights, an ongoing series featuring industry artists, as well as various training workshops and the Industry Giants events. Meeting information, a membersā€(tm) online forum, event information and more can be found at http://www.abunchofshortguys.org/.

For additional information on Industry Giants 2007: Everything In-Between to schedule interviews, request photos or B-roll please contact Meg Fullwood, Fast Forward Productions, 214-946-9509 or by email at mhz@airmail.net.