Animation Movie Night- Weds Nov 9 7pm

Cincinnati Animation Network's first monthly animation movie night in conjunction with the Cincinnati Film Society is coming up this Wednesday 11/9!  We will be screening The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead, a feature animated film made by Elliot Cowan, followed by a Q+A with the director.

The Mockbee

2260 Central Parkway

Cincinnati OH 45214

7:00pm

free admission

After their home is destroyed, Boxhead & Roundhead must head to the big city to battle red tape, rent, rats and the rat race to get it back. Art and industry, friendship and foul play are all in the mix in this, the first feature length Boxhead & Roundhead stressful adventure.

Elliot Cowan is an award winning animator, writer artist and educator.

He was born in Melbourne, Australia where he attended the Independent College of Art and Design and followed that up with a further post grad year at the Victorian College of the Arts.

He spent nearly 11 years in Tasmania writing, directing and editing low budget television commercials.

In 2006 he left for London where he worked for Uli Meyer Animation, working as a story artist and gag man on the feature film Monstermania!

He conceived the characters Boxhead and Roundhead who appeared in several award winning short films as well as an animated feature currently on the festival circuit.

His drawings and paintings have been displayed in Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

In 2007 he moved to New York where he paints and draws, makes sculptures of of foam core and teaches.

He has completed animation, storyboarding, writing and story consultation for Sesame Workshop, Elizabeth Arden, Nathan Love, PBS, Ace and Son Moving Picture Company, The Logo Network, Uli Meyer Animation and Oscar nominated Irish studio Cartoon Saloon among others.

He teaches animation and story classes at The Pratt Institute, University of the Arts, Queens College and Mercy College.

Kubo and the Two Strings Screening 8/27

Behold. 

The beauty of Laika's Kubo and the Two Strings!  We are going to see this as a group this Saturday Aug 27th, the 10:15am show (Meet at 10:00am at the theater).

AMC Theater
Newport on the Levee
1 Levee Way #4100
Newport, KY 41071

Afterwards we'll ramble somewhere within walking distance for lunch/brunch.

Come one come all!

If you have any issues call me (Darcy) 513-304-9780 and I will guide you.  See you soon!

Anomalisa Screening Tonight!

Hi again, and happy Tuesday! Just a reminder that the free (with downloaded tickets) Anomalisa screening is tonight at 7:30pm at the Esquire Theatre.

Get up to 2 tickets per person here:

https://www.gofobo.com/index.php/main/movie_landing/QU5PTUZN

Where: The Esquire Theatre, Cincinnati OH

When: Tuesday Jan 19th, 7:30pm

Tip: Arrive 30-40 mins early, seats are first come first serve and not guaranteed depending on the crowd

Synopsis:

Michael Stone, husband, father and respected author of "How May I Help You Help Them?" is a man crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where he's scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in the form of an unassuming Akron baked goods sales rep, Lisa, who may or may not be the love of his life. A beautifully tender and absurdly humorous dreamscape, from the brilliant minds of Charlie Kaufman (SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK) and Duke Johnson ("Community" episode, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas), this stop-motion animation wonder features the vocal cast of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan and David Thewlis and a stirring strings-based score by Carter Burwell. The darkly comedic and surreal stop-motion journey of a man's long night of the soul, ANOMALISA confirms Charlie Kaufman's place amongst the most important of American filmmakers, and announces Duke Johnson as a major creative force. 

Hope to see you there!

Anomalisa Advance Screening- free tickets!

Good news! Flaming Medusa Animation hooked us up with a cool deal that means you can get free advance screening tickets to the Academy Award nominated stop-motion feature "Anomalisa".

Where: The Esquire Theatre, Cincinnati OH

When: Tuesday Jan 19th, 7:30pm

Tip: Arrive 30-40 mins early, seats are not guaranteed and are first come first serve

Get free tickets

Synopsis:

Michael Stone, husband, father and respected author of "How May I Help You Help Them?" is a man crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where he's scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in the form of an unassuming Akron baked goods sales rep, Lisa, who may or may not be the love of his life. A beautifully tender and absurdly humorous dreamscape, from the brilliant minds of Charlie Kaufman (SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK) and Duke Johnson ("Community" episode, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas), this stop-motion animation wonder features the vocal cast of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan and David Thewlis and a stirring strings-based score by Carter Burwell. The darkly comedic and surreal stop-motion journey of a man's long night of the soul, ANOMALISA confirms Charlie Kaufman's place amongst the most important of American filmmakers, and announces Duke Johnson as a major creative force. 

Hope to see you there!

Indie Animation Feature Screening in Cincinnati TONIGHT only!

“Rocks In My Pockets” is a story of mystery and redemption. The film is based on true events involving the women of my family, including myself, and our battles with madness...

This is nuts how cool is this image

Tonight is the last night of screenings in Cincinnati for the independent feature "Rocks in my Pockets" by Signe Bauman. You guys NEED TO GO TODAY.

Why? It's an indie feature and we need to support each other, But aside from that this is an animated film that deals with topics like depression and sanity which means it is definitely interesting and worth watching- this is the kind of film we need more of!

What is even going on here I am dying to find out!!!??

It is Playing at the Mariemont Theatre and it ends TODAY- there are several showtimes throughout the day, You can find times on the Mariemont Theatre website  and there is more info, art, and trailers on the film's website www.rocksinmypocketsmovie.com

"'Rocks In My Pockets' is a story of mystery and redemption. The film is based on true events involving the women of my family, including myself, and our battles with madness. It raises questions of how much family genetics determine who we are and if it is possible to outsmart one’s own DNA. The film is packed with visual metaphors, surreal images and my twisted sense of humor. It is an animated tale full of art, women, strange daring stories, Latvian accents, history, nature, adventure and more.
The idea for 'Rocks In My Pockets’ came from my stream of consciousness. Like most people I think about a wide variety of things, some fantastical, some mundane, but my mind keeps coming back to thoughts of “ending it all” and the ways I could go about doing it. Why? Why do I think this way? And why I am still alive despite such thoughts? I find the fragility of our minds fascinating. Life is strange, unpredictable, sometimes absurd and I try to see the humor in it all." - Signe Bauman

I would love to hear what you guys think after you see it- since I am out of town I can't see it until next week so  I'd love to hear your reviews!

J. M. W. Turner Movie Trailer

It seems like movies about painters are all the rage. This one looks really good with Timothy Spall as Turner. It should be in the US in December. Perhaps they will have another discussion after the showing similar to the Tim's Vermeer one by C. F. Payne.

I saw a huge special exhibition of Turner at the MET in 2008. It is an amazing body of work when you see more than one or two. His life story is very interesting.

More info here: http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/news/unknown/1165/watch-the-trailer-for-the-new-jmw-turner-movie

Jodorowsky's Dune Movie Night Tuesday April 29th

A bunch of us are seeing the new documentary of the Dune film that never was at the Esquire Theater next Tuesday ($6 day) at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!

HR Giger Dune Concept Art. From the NPR review: http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/03/20/12_wide-20dbe9d859f41dedca838947dcee81a391085bb5-s40-c85.jpg

Great review by NPR: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/20/291132685/jodorowskys-dune-the-greatest-film-that-never-was

For fun, here is one of the cards I illustrated for the Dune CCG in the 90s:

Baliset Illustration by Christina Wald

The Wind Rises viewing tomorrow

The time has come! Tomorrow (Tuesday March 4) we are going to see The Wind Rises by Miyazaki at the Esquire Theatre, 7:15pm show. It's $6 Tuesday so the price couldn't be better! Email me at cincycan@gmail.com if you're coming so we can save you a seat! Should be a pretty nice crowd of artsy folks.

The Wind Rises Animated Film- March 4th

We are getting a group together with the Cincinnati Animation Network to see The Wind Rises by Miyazaki on Tuesday March 4th at 7:15pm at the Esquire Theater. Tuesday is bargain day so the tickets are $6.00 each!  We would love it if you could come too.

In case you don't know, The Wind Rises is Miyazaki's latest (maybe last?) film, and it is also his most controversial film because: 

"Although 'The Wind Rises' has a strong pacifist message, it is essentially a biopic of Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer whose contribution to the world was a killing machine. His designs led to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, which was used to devastating effect during World War II." (...says this article from the NY Times)

If you can't make it that day but want to go with someone, email me at cincycan@gmail.com and I can try to build additional groups to go on different days/times. We can send the Esquire the message that we want more films like this in Cincinnati! It is playing Friday the 28th through Thursday March 6th, let me know what other day works for you if you can't do Tuesday.

Movie Poster

My most recent illustration job was a lot of fun to do. "One Day Summer" is a short film being released this month by Piñata Productions. The writer/director, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, liked my poster for the film "Intangible" but wanted something rougher, younger, and filled with punk rock energy.


The key to the scribbly look of the drawing was to not ink my drawing. The black lines are scans from the original pencils. 


The fun came from the client. We met at a restaurant; she talked and I sketched, and we pushed the sketches back and forth across the table until we agreed on a composition and attitude. She trusted me to do the job, and boom - we were both happy with the results. Ideal.