by Adreon Patterson
Even though I chose to purse writing for my M.F.A., my first love has always been animation. From the Disney Renaissance to MTV to Saturday mornings, I lived, ate and breathed any and everything animation to the point of receiving a B.F.A. in the field. So SCAD Atlanta’s AnimationFest fit perfectly in my pop culture wheelhouse. Having attended AnimationFest’s first year, I anticipated this one to be just as exciting.
Thursday, Sept. 27
Anticipation for the event was bubbling as I rode on the shuttle to SCADshow. The first event, “The Best Saturdays of Our Lives,” made my inner fanboy want to scream as I reminisced about sitting in front of the television every Saturday morning eating cereal with my brother. The room filled with fans wanting to hear about Saturday morning animation blocks. After sitting for a while, Adult Swim program director and author Mark McCray entered the room. He gave us a broad history of the genre before showing some clips to demonstrate a few techniques TV animation companies use to this day.
After his talk, McCray sat down with Professor Matt Maloney for a Q&A session. One question really struck a chord with me as a fellow graduate student asked McCray on his thoughts about inclusion and diversity in animation.
McCray’s response spoke to the innocence of that time when he said, “Kids want to see themselves.” He added that Saturday cartoons and the “Josie and the Pussycats” theme “made me want to work in the industry because the studios wanted diversity and inclusion.”
When McCray’s presentation ended, many attendees, including myself, hustled up the stairs and in the main stage auditorium for the “How to Get to Sesame Street” presentation. I sat as close as I could to be apart of the action as Coordinator Christina Elefante, introduced herself. Elefante’s theater background came into play as she broke down the theme of the current season and the production process. She gave inside information on content creation from the pitch process to the final product.
After showing a few segments, Elefante and Professor Tina O’Hailey brought out graduate film and television student Danielle McCook to premiere her short film “L is for Laundromat.” For any “Sesame Street” lover, the clip was a good mix of old-school musicality with a modern flair. Following the premiere, O’Hailey sat with Elefante and McCook to discuss how the project came together. During the Q&A, McCook revealed she had to rewrite her song which led O’Hailey and her friend to coax her into singing the original version. This spontaneous moment lead to the event closing out in a sing-along.
After a brief intermission, I migrated with many attendees to the main stage to see the “TED-Ed: Where Education Meets Animation” presentation. I sat in the middle section to get the best view with a curious mind. I had heard of the renowned TED Talks, but not about its animation branch. Soon, the auditorium filled with other curious minds.
“TED-Ed” Animation Directors Lisa LaBracio and Franz Palomares showcased the program with a series of short films. After the viewing, LaBracio and Palomares broke down the production process leading to 150 shorts a year. The pair showed the various styles of animated content while championing their use of independent contractors. Towards the end, Professor Christina Maloney fielded audience questions for LaBracio and Palomares. At one point, a student asked about the importance of content. LaBracio answered with certainty, “Animation is important, but content and value will always be our top priority,” she said. It was nice to hear an organization care about the content they were creating.
With the last presentation and the next one-timed so close, I remained in my seat as people flowed in and out of the auditorium. The crowd’s energy felt different as more Atlanta citizens replaced SCAD students. The “Ask Me Anything” presentation seemed to be the must-see event as the crowd overflowed on the stairs. After a nice introduction by Animation Chair Chris Gallagher, 20th Century Fox Animation’s AJ Cohen walked onto the stage before speaking on her beginnings on the east coast to her position at Fox Animation.
Throughout the Q&A session, Cohen dropped a few gems for the audience. A key piece of advice came when she said, “The work you do is your reputation.” This spoke volumes to many in the crowded auditorium as whispers filled the air.
Two more anecdotes that resonated with the crowd were “the north star is to make the best film possible” and “your passion is your biggest currency.” For a creative like myself, her words spoke to me as if you knew all my hidden fears.
Check back on The Connector for coverage of day 2 of AnimationFest.