Sunday, September 08, 2019

Still spots left in my Intro to Acting class

There are still a few spots left in my ”Intro to Acting” class at the Animation Collaborative.  Classes run every Tuesday night starting September 24.  More info here.

Thursday, June 06, 2019

Summer Epic Intensive in Vancouver!

I'm proud to be a part of this teaching event coming up in August!  Get your tickets now.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-2019-epic-intensive-vancouver-bc-canada-tickets-60218736863

Monday, February 18, 2019

Kitbull!

Pixar just released another of their SparkShorts, "Kitbull":


This film was directed by Rosie Sullivan, one of our talented story artists.  I had the pleasure of working with her for about 6 weeks.  It was my first experience with 2D, hand-drawn animation, and I absolutely loved it!  The animators did all their own roughs, cleanup, and even coloring in TV Paint.  The background paintings and compositing were handled by other artists.  We had a very short and intense schedule and a shoestring budget, but honestly it was the most fun I've had animating in years.  I hope I have the chance to do more 2D animation soon!

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Class alert: "Acting for Visual Artists" with Tracy Burns

My friend Tracy Burns is teaching a limited-series acting class tailored specifically for visual artists working in animation, gaming and VFX. The classes will be held on four Saturdays, 10:30am-1:30pm, March 23 – April 13.

For those of you who don’t know Tracy, she is a performance consultant and acting teacher with more than 25 years of experience. She is the Acting for Animators teacher at California College of the Arts and teaches a variety of acting and visual storytelling classes at PixarDreamWorksBlue Sky AnimationCinesiteThe Third FloorThe Animation Collaborative, Chapman University and other animation studios and production houses.   I have had the pleasure of studying with her and teaching with her!

Below is more information on the class and how to sign up.

Acting for Visual Artists with Tracy Burns

Saturdays, 10:30am – 1:30pm
March 23 – April 13
Animation Collaborative
1185 Park Ave., Emeryville
$350 - Special introductory price! 
*For additional discounts, see below

In this class, Tracy provides directly applicable acting techniques that are immediately usable whether you’re in Story, Layout, Animation or any other department; nothing precious, nothing arcane.

Participants will learn how to:
  • Analyze scripts
  • Define the characters' Objective, Obstacles & Actions
  • Play the subtext
  • Craft emotionally rich performances
  • Shoot reference more effectively
  • Avoid clichés
  • Shake things up when the process bogs down 
  • And more!

No prior acting experience is required, just come ready to experiment and have fun! Space is limited, so register now! *Register with a friend, and you both get $25 off! 

To sign up, email Tracy: TracyBurnsCreative [at] gmail [dot] com 


Here’s what people say about Tracy’s classes:

“Tracy brings an amazing and inspiring energy to her workshops and, as an animator, it has allowed me to dive deeper into my characters and really understand the nature of the choices I make for them.”  
Alli Sadegiani, Animator - Pixar 

“I am a production designer in animation at DreamWorks and have been working in the industry for over thirty years. One of Tracy's superpowers is her ability to show her students how to work from the deepest source of their creativity, immediately and powerfully. She is a master instructor and will certainly grow the talent in remarkable ways wherever she works.” 
Kathy Altieri, Production Designer - DreamWorks 

“Tracy’s teaching has been an invaluable resource for me and many other Pixar animators. She presents the information in a fun, relevant, and interactive way, and the lessons are immediately applicable to our performances. She brings a deep understanding of acting, improv, filmmaking, and animation that is sure to enrich her students.” 
Victor Navone, Supervising Animator - Pixar
 
“This class should be required for all artists at the studio.”
Guillermo Careaga, Animator - DreamWorks