Animation Mentor Hosts Inspiring Roundtable at CTN Animation Expo
AnimationMentor.com (Animation Mentor) announces an inspiring roundtable, An Animation Career Snapshot, at the CTN Animation Expo. Acclaimed animators from top studios in all areas of the field will come together to discuss the differences in their day-to-day jobs and share how they've approached their work on the year's biggest animation projects.
"The animation industry is constantly evolving," said Bobby Beck, chief executive officer and cofounder of Animation Mentor. "We love bringing phenomenal people together to share their passion and diverse experiences in ways that help people grow professionally along with the ever-changing industry. There is nothing more rewarding!"
"Through the ages, mentorship has been a time-tested way craftsmen of all trades have transferred knowledge," said Tenny Chonin, owner of Suspended Animation Gallery and roundtable moderator. "The wisdom a mentor imparts is a gift that lasts forever. This roundtable is a great opportunity to hear firsthand from top animators how they approach their craft and the diverse challenges of their profession."
The first annual CTN Animation Expo (CTN-X) hosted by the Creative Talent Network will take place in the animation epicenter Burbank CA Nov 20-22, 2009 during what will be officially proclaimed "Animation Week" for this event.
"We are proud to host the first-ever Animation Expo," says Burbank's Deputy City Manager Joy Forbes. "Our city is known around the world for its state-of-the-art studios and production facilities. This will be such a tremendous occasion for the most talented animators in the country and we look forward to their arrival in November."
About the Animation Mentor Roundtable at CTN Animation Expo
Title: AnimationMentor.com Presents: An Animation Career Snapshot
Date: 12:00 p.m., Sunday, November 22, 2009 (PST)
Location: CTN Animation Expo
Burbank Convention Center /ROOM 2
The Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel & Convention Center
2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA
Important Links
Online Event Registration
The CTN Animation Expo Event Site
Online Hotel Reservations
Tenny Chonin
Moderator
Tenny is the owner of Suspended Animation Gallery, an online art gallery exclusively representing non-Disney art by Disney artists. As the former director of artist development at Disney Animation Studios, Chonin led the department that conceived and produced all training and enrichment activities for the feature animation division. She is currently consulting on projects that further the education of animators in film and television.
Eric Goldberg
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Eric is an animator and film director who is currently the supervising animator of the character "Louis"for Disney's upcoming 2D feature The Princess and the Frog. Creator of Aladdin's Genie, he was the supervising animator of Phil in Hercules and co-director of Pocahontas. Goldberg is also the author of the book Character Animation Crash Course! and a lecturer for Animation Mentor.
Sean Sexton
DreamWorks Animation SKG
Sean worked as a storyboard artist on Steve Oedekerk's Thumbtanic and a character layout artist on the hit show Futurama. Currently an animator at DreamWorks Animation, he has worked on such films as Sinbad, SharkTale, Flushed Away, Over the Hedge, and Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie. After wrapping animation on DreamWorks' first Stereoscopic 3D film Monsters vs. Aliens, Sean is now working on How to Train Your Dragon. He is also a full-time mentor at Animation Mentor.
Chris Williams
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Chris is an animation supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks where he has worked on a variety of projects encompassing visual effects and character animation. He is currently a lead animator on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Since joining Imageworks in 2001, Williams has held various positions on both Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation productions. His credits include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3, and Open Season. Chris is also a mentor at Animation Mentor.
Kira Lehtomaki
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Kira graduated from Animation Mentor in winter 2007. After graduating, she took an apprenticeship at Rhythm & Hues where she animated scenes on Alvin & the Chipmunks. Shortly after, she became an animation trainee at Walt Disney Animation Studios where she was mentored for six months and was hired to animate on Bolt. Kira is currently working on Rapunzel.
About the CTN Animation Expo (CTN-X)
Be a part of the only dedicated Expo for animation talent in the USA—located in the #1 market, Burbank California, this event fills a substantial void by providing highly focused conference programming, workshops, recruiting, presentations and networking opportunities designed to connect animation artists, studio executives and industry leaders both locally and internationally.
For more information click here.
About CTN (The Creative Talent Network)
Founded in 2004 by 25 year Walt Disney veteran Tina Price, the Creative Talent Network (CTN) is an exclusive virtual community of top talent professional artists from the animation gaming, film and video industries. CTN is a self-funded community with the support of it's sponsors and professional members. All profits return to the community in the form of upgraded service, educational programs, promotional tools, inspiring workshops and networking opportunities. CTN events help talented artists connect, get jobs and reach their goals both locally and internationally each and every year. Hosted by The Creative Talent Network: http://www.creativetalentnetwork.com
About Animation Mentor
Animation Mentor is a state-of-the-art online animation program teaching students the skills needed to learn to animate like a professional animator in the studio environment. Focused 100% on character animation, the 18-month animation program is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. Different than an animation university, Animation Mentor's online campus environment provides students around the world with a convenient, flexible, and accessible learning environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By graduation, every student will have worked in a production-style environment with mentors who are working studio animators. Students learn how to accept guidance and criticism, to meet deadlines and to budget and schedule their time to succeed in a career in animation. The animation courses lead students to a diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation and are built with a focus on production studio skills, allowing students to get comfortable with the many challenges and opportunities they will experience when working in an animation career. Upon graduation, Animation Mentor coaches graduates and connects them to job opportunities with major recruiters, video game companies, and film studios. For more information, visit animationmentor.com.
