A collection of the late Jules Engel’s films was released on DVD last year, and accompanying the shorts was a documentary about the man himself. The artist, who is know for his work on Fantasia and Bambi, discusses his first experiences at school, and his memories of Walt Disney. He also discusses his philosophy behind the CalArts Experimental Animation program, which he founded in 1969. Here is the full documentary, titled Jules Engel: An Artist For All Seasons, which was directed by Janeann Dill.

by Brendan Burch

After dialing up Martha Baxton to get a ticket, I was asked if I would be attending last month’s CalArts Producer’s Show as “an alumnus” or as “a studio representative.” Either would’ve been the truth, as I’m a proud graduate of the Character Animation School, but for the last 7 years I’ve been heading up Six Point Harness Studios in Hollywood. After considering my options, I decided to attend as a “studio rep” that night, and in hindsight, I’m glad I did. I doubt that was a proud night for any CalArts alumni.

I’ve got some new projects coming up, so I was attending primarily to find artists. After a long day of work, I was tired (as I’m sure many of the DreamWorks, Disney and Fox representatives were as well), and I wasn’t thrilled to see that the event had started late. Once things got underway, there were programming issues with nearly everyone on stage; notes were lost, the presenting order wasn’t followed, the department director was chewing gum, and a stream of CalArts-themed inside jokes were presented to an audience comprised of animation professionals. Not a great start.
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Work, Michael Rianda’s simply-titled 3rd year film from the CalArts Character Animation program stole the show. His comedic-timing, strong sense of voice direction (and/or casting), and overall funny writing combined to make the stand-out short from 2010. Along with Eric Anderson, Rianda shared the Walter and Gracie Lantz Animation Prize for Best in Show, and it was soon clear why – he had the whole crowd laughing, from his acceptance speech about his Dad’s uncomprimising will to build an outdoor bathtub to the final sequences of his short. However, Rianda’s drawings, while charming, are kinda wonky, his animation isn’t very animated and his lip sync is unsync’d, but you forget all of this as soon as we see those Moon Shoes. Comedy wins out in the end.

One quick rant – I can’t believe the CalArts faculty lets their students use unlicensed music in their shorts. It seems so negligent. I don’t know what the ownership situation is like for CalArts films, as I know some universities claim partial copyrights for their student’s work, but in the end, neither of them fully own the film if the music is borrowed in this manner. I don’t just say this because the students miss a chance to sell or license their film, it’s just sloppy. Create an original work, from tip to tail, and you’ll understand the process far better. Sure, as your career moves forward, you may have the chance to license popular songs, but why hamstring yourself with this issue now, when you could partner with a musician and create something unique and your own?

Like so much experimental animation, Beomsik Shimbe Shim’s The Wonder Hospital isn’t the most accessible film. The narrative is very open to interpretation, and the surrealistic landscape feels dreamlike and fluid. But if you get a chance to see the film – push onward. It’s mesmerizing, gorgeous and haunting all at once. It’s like a Matthew Barney installation come to life, but perhaps a bit more accessible than that. I think you’ll quickly grasp that the film centers on self image and the desire for personal perfection, or is it? Here’s a trailer:

[UPDATE]
.. and here’s a longer clip:

We’ve already highlighted CalArts final films 3 times in the last three weeks, but strong work just keeps pouring onto the video sharing sites. Here’s three more that I think deserve your attention:

Valencia, California by Dylan Forman

Red by Hyunjoo Song

Eat! by Jeff Liu

The CalArts final films keep pouring into the web. Here’s Ben Holm’s traditionally-animated 1st year film, titled In A Nut Shell. Quite an impressive start to his career, no?

With next week’s Producer’s Show inching closer, handfuls of CalArts animated shorts are finding their way to the internet. Two of my favorites are below, with the exception of Kris Anka’s A Bear Film, which we posted last week.

Crater Face by Skyler Page

Bothered Bot by Jennifer Harlow