Tomorrow evening, ASIFA-East is presenting the panel Animation Development: From Pitch to Production. It’s moderated by David Levy, whose excellent new book of the same name was released last week. Panelists are Carl W. Adams (co-creator, Assy McGee), Janice Burgess (creator of The Backyardigans), Fran Krause (creator), Debra Solomon (creator) and yours truly. Frankly, I think the only reason I’m on the panel is because I think the pitching and development process nowadays is wasteful, misguided, and total BS. And now that I’ve made my position clear, I don’t think I even need to show up. The fun starts at 7pm in the 3rd floor theater of the School of Visual Arts (209 E. 23rd Street).

Forget D23.

A genuine animation expo is shaping up for this November in Burbank - and even Cartoon Brew will have a presence at the event. Tina Price (former Disney character designer and an animator herself) is putting together the CTN Expo at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center - conveniently located across the street from the Burbank Airport and an Amtrak Station - on Friday November 20th through Sunday, November 22nd.
My advice: Be there.

This may be the only place where you’ll be able to meet so many international animation industry professionals under one roof. Among those already committed to speak at this event: illustrator Peter de Sève, director Don Bluth, comics artist Mike Mignola, art director Andy Gaskill, character designer Harald Siepermann, Dreamworks animtors Dave Burgess and Jason Ryan, production designers Alex McDowell and Kathy Altieri and on and on. Some of the artist exhibitors will include Damon Bard, Brittney Lee, Ben Balistreri, David Colman, Robin Joseph and Kathy Zielinski.

Disney, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Digital Domain, Exodus Filmgroup and other companies will have recruiters there to look at portfolios. Cartoon Brew will host an artists-only VIP lounge area. There is much, much more to this event and we’ll be posting updates in the upcoming weeks. Consider this an advance head’s up.

Early bird tickets are $25 for the exhibit floor only, $50 for a day pass and $125 for a 3-day pass. Early bird deadline is Sept. 30, 2009. Discounted rates are available to students, active military and professional industry organizations. Space is strictly limited at this groundbreaking event. Click here for more information or to register or call (800) 604-2238 and mention the special member discount code (BeckX09) to obtain an extra 10% off any 1-day or 3-day professional/general passport.

Spark Animation ‘09 is taking place next week in Vancouver. I wasn’t blown away by the line-up for the event’s first year, but this second time around they’ve brought together an exciting and diverse group of industry bigshots including DreamWorks director Conrad Vernon, David Fine of Bob and Margaret fame, Blue Sky art director Michael Knapp, Pixar production designer Ricky Nierva, The Secret of Kells co-director Tomm Moore, and feature animators like Dave Burgess and Chris Wiliams. There are also discussion panels and film screenings including $9.99, Mary and Max, The Secret of Kells, and Azur and Asmar. The event is industry-centric—no surprise because it’s being put on by SIGGRAPH—but there is a definite need for an event like this on the West Coast, and Vancouver is a lovely place to host it. The schedule and single-ticket/full pass info can be found on the SIGGRAPH Vancouver website. If any reader wants to send some notes about how it goes next week, I’d be interested in hearing about it.

Join me at the Silent Movie Theatre on Tuesday (September 1st) for an entire orgy of 35mm Technicolor cartoons from the 30s, 40s and 50s. We’ve dug up a whole program of diverse classic cartoons with only one thing in common - each is a vintage film print struck in the original three strip Tech process.

Not to go all film geek on you, but this is going to be one helluva show, with Color Rhapsodies, Terrytoons and Noveltoons galore - projected as they were originally intended on the big screen. Forget digital, Technicolor was the cream-of-the-crop chemical film process which required three separate negatives to create its vivid images - and unlike other film stocks, the color never faded. Sadly, Technicolor’s dye-transfer process, used during the golden age of Hollywood, stopped due to costs in 1974.

Luckily, prints still exist - but they are getting scarce. Our big show starts at 8pm and advance tickets are on sale now. Check the CineFamily website for more information. Click the thumbnails below to see frame enlargements from a few of the actual prints we will be showing.

A “One Night Only” theatrical screening of The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is set for September 12th in about 50 movie theaters across the country. In LA it’s playing at the Mann Chinese 6. In New York, it’ll be at the Chelsea Cinemas. Most theatres are running the animated feature as a midnight show.

Theatre locations, film information and tickets are available online here.

Next month in Rio de Janeiro marks the debut of Íris—International Festival of LGBT Animation. According to the festival, they will screen animated films with topics related to sexual diversity: gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transvestites and transexuals. There are only two programs of films in their inaugural year, and the programs will screen on September 1, 8 and 15. Line-up of the films can be viewed on their site.

Also coming up in Rio and Sao Paulo is the 4th International Festival of Erotic Animation. The festival is currently accepting submissions through August 31. Their is no entry fee to submit a film.

Tomm Moore’s highly stylish animated feature, The Secret of Kells will screen in Los Angeles one time only, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, on Saturday September 26th at 4pm. It’s part of the L.A. Irish Film Festival.

The Secret of Kells, which never received an official U.S. release, was produced by Kilkenny based Cartoon Saloon. Check the trailer here. For additional information and art from the film, check director Moore’s production blog.

I now have three (count ‘em, three) regularly scheduled live events in Hollywood California. If you can’t make it this month, please print this post and stick it on your refrigerator, or jot these down for future reference. I’ll be there every month:

Cartoon Dump - Every fourth Tuesday of every month. TV’s Frank, puppets, funny songs and really bad cartoons. At the Steve Allen Theatre. Next up: tomorrow night August 25th at 8pm. Special guest comedian Rick Overton.

Cartoozdays at the Silent Movie - First Tuesday of every month. Different theme each month. This month: “Technicolor Tuesday” - a whole program of classic Hollywood cartoons in 35mm IB Tech. September 1st at 8pm.

Janet Klein - First Thursday of every month. Janet and her Parlor Boys play 20s, 30s jazz and pop tunes. Preceeded by me and my 16mm projector, with rare musical shorts and cartoons of the 1930s. Next show, September 3rd, 8pm at the Steve Allen.