Story Time Confessions – Hannah Ayoubi

Wife of a Farmer – Amanda Winterstein

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.

After the show (which included some excellent animation, I might add), I went outside to search for some prospective hires. Struggling, I asked a student for some help in finding one of his classmates. He proceeded to scream out the student’s name and then gave me a disrespectful and vague description of his classmate. Could be one bad egg spoiling the bunch, but it was yet another knock on the whole evening.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a CalArts hater. My intention here is to offer “tough love.” I have very fond memories of the school and what I learned there has served as the cornerstone of my career. But my hope is that the faculty will step up and take future screenings and outward-facing events more seriously; respecting the time attendees have carved out to visit with their students. My other wish is that the students, who have earned a reputation for not being able to “play well with others,” might show a little more humility as they embark on their career path.

More over – remember that the event isn’t titled “The Student’s Show” – it’s “The Producer’s Show,” and you’re welcoming prospective employers into your lives, with the intention of building lasting relationships.

So, next year, when the faculty is asking attendees if they’re coming as “alumni” or “studio reps,” I suggest they also ask the students if they’re attending as “amateurs” or “professionals.”

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?