This course will go over the introductory principle of mixed media animation. From the process of planning, talking to artists, preparing the frames to scanning the final animations this workshop will provide the basic skills to start your own mixed media animation endeavor. Harry will cover the basic principle that combines the use of photoshop, premiere, lightroom, printer and various material/supplies to compose a mixed media animation. There will also be case studies and demonstration of the process after the lecture.

The lineage of animation capture technology and the case for portable animation

In 1996 two business partners patent a series of portable frame grabbers claiming the box could be carried into a potato field and used by a farmer to animate.

I am planning on talking about creatures, childhood, animation processes, and learning animation alone. This will all be in the context of a chronological look through my work.

As an emerging experimental animator with no formal animation training, Celina will talk through her experience delving into this medium and the inspirations that led her to pursue it. She’ll speak about the hybridity, irreverence, and accessibility that experimental animation allows and how these aspects guide her analogue and digital processes. Newly graduated from art school, she’ll talk about her post-school film experience and will create a space for open discussion.

Presented in collaboration with Eternal Family (@eternalfamilytv) escape into the world of Harleigh Shaw's (@harleigh.shaw) newest film, The Day That Sherrie Stopped, followed by a live Q&A.

Exploring life, love, and loss in the sun-drenched landscape of South Florida. The Day That Sherrie Stopped follows Sacha on the day he gets his heart crushed by an older female.

It's so weird that we still can't touch things through our screen. Sam Gurry uses found objects and archives to showcase different approaches to stop motion tactility. Whether depicting images of nostalgia, sex, or mastication, Gurry will unpack their love of the archival and the sour through a talk about their work, their process, and their next project. Bite your lip, blink your eyes, and take a lick.

In this talk, Jamie Wolfe will pay homage to the limitless boundaries of the cartoon form and unpack some of the specific influences that drive the frenetic energy within her own character's electric bodies. Additionally, join us to look behind the curtain as Jamie shares how she developed her intuitive paper-to-digital workflow and iconic style.

In Embracing Dissonance, I'll touch on things I was interested in as a kid, how these things have informed my experimental approach to animation, why I don’t see my art ever being tied down to a definitive 'style', and learning to go with my gut feeling.

I'll share some behind-the-scenes process of a few of my projects, and finish off with a quick strata cut demonstration.

In this talk, I will cover limited animation techniques with a focus on puppet animation (digital and handmade).

I'll talk about my use of DIY limited animation and 2d puppets - from hand-made paper puppets on 16mm film to digital puppet animation in Adobe ANIMATE, After Effects Duik plugin and more. I will also cover other limited animation techniques including creating dynamic still images, rotoscoping using reference videos and GIFS, cycles, camera moves, etc.

View more of Amy's work at: https://amylockhart.ca or @amy_logheart

Are you worried your career won't go as you hope it will? I hope to have a conversation with you, if I may offer any insight. To my surprise, my own career turned out far more interesting than what I had expected of it. I'm here to tell you not to worry.

View Mary's work at: https://vimeo.com/user56879876 and @mary.beams.3

Our lives are primarily mediated through moving images on digital screens within a visual culture that operates on hyper-specific reference, niche memes, irony, and post-irony. The former president used memes to get into the white house, Disney makes Woke movies while owning literally everything, TikToks, Tweets, and Instagram photos are the subject of major media coverage, and The CIA rebranded with sleek millennial graphics. Never have we needed a tool to make sense of such a dizzying array of signs and symbols as we do right now. Join me in a discussion about why I think rotoscoping is uniquely qualified to be that very tool and to hear about my own journey with the technique over the last few years.

View Jonah’s work at: @jonah_online and jonahprimiano.com

Following last week’s skill-share, participants were encouraged to make a short clip using After Effects. The session begins with a screening of everyone’s work, followed by an individualized workshop/critique.

View Jeanette's work at: @jeanettefantone and jeanettefantone.com

Overcome your fear of After Effects (AE) by finding its beauty for self-discovery. We will dive into the program with a playful mindset and approach compositing as a fun and intuitive process. An exploration-based attitude makes all the difference– and sometimes all you need is that little spark of encouragement.

Jeanette will cover a few AE principles and delve into a live demonstration of her personal compositing process. Techniques will be applied in both representational and abstract manners. While “basics” will not be covered, previous experience with the program is helpful (but not necessary).

View Jeanette's work at: @jeanettefantone and jeanettefantone.com

"Mean Screen" (lecture/presentation) Channel surfing through video art history, lineages of display technology, and the off-screen we’ll draw a line in chalk around animations physical presence. 2 artist case studies will ground us in video and performance all while still gripping the thread of experimental animation.

View Anna’s work at: @tallgrill and annafirth.com

Interested in learning about the 2d animation principles needed to bring optical illusions to life? Chris Cray looks at ambiguous double-images and how to animate seamlessly in and out of their different states while staying true to the original illusion. Chris also talks us through the techniques needed to combine multiple animated loops into a sequence and how VR can be a great way to showcase animated work.

View Chris' work at: @_chris_cray and @somesensestudio

Ellery Bryan uses 16mm and super 8mm analog film to address the divide between material and ephemera. Their artistic practice stems from their experiences with loss, and uses film as a tool to continuously explore relationships with their loved ones when they leave their bodies. Their methods include direct animation on film, sound mixing, performance, live-action and installation. In the last two years, they have shifted into a home studio practice where they attempt to use filmmaking to create an entrance for the transcendent in everyday interactions and environments.

This workshop aims to clearly break down and make accessible the foundations of DIY 16mm animation, and the construction of a personal studio space. Pulling from years of research and experience, Ellery will walk through their personal 16mm film practice, disability-focused art-making, and their recent work, as well as the materials and processes that are often obfuscated or gatekept in the traditional film community. They will be focusing on skill sharing, the basics of animation and studio-constructing, and answering questions about 16mm film work.

View Ellery's work at: @magic.h0ur and ellerybryan.com

In this talk, I address the pleasures and pitfalls of multi-year projects and ways to keep the project alive and transformative.

In my Feature animations, I make script changes, create new scenes, and even as I will discuss, introduce new characters late in the game. As a film grows, it leaves you behind and starts running ahead of you, talking over you; I will be speaking about how to listen to your work, not to yourself. At least for me, I have to be speaking to someone to continue, I enjoy making my work, but I am not making it for myself.

Long-form works feel like a long unsent love letter. But you must mail the letter, or they will never know you love them. I will illustrate these points while showing scenes and production images from Consuming Spirits and The Orbit of Minor Satellites.

View Chris' work at: @chrissullivananimation and orbitkickstart.com

Interested in learning some fun and funky rotoscope techniques? Look no further! Lije Morgan combines 2D and 3D to make animations that exist somewhere between. In this workshop, Lije will go over their process of frame by frame rotoscoping a 3D model or filmed footage for incorporation into a 3D modelled scene that creates natural lighting and shadows. Learn how to set up your reference as a perfect loop even if it doesn't already loop, create a character based on your reference, and import that as a plane in 3D space so that it can interact with a physical environment!

View Lije's work at: @lije.mo and lije.com

Let’s take a look into using color, light and texture to build our animated worlds. That ominous shadow slipping into frame, glowing pool of light striking right under your chin, corduroy upholstery from your childhood armchair… getting lost in 3 greens at once.

View Anna’s work at: @tallgrill and annafirth.com