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Summer 2016 Networking & Internship Panel

Another great session of the MAA Networking & Internship Panel for Summer Quarter!  The panelists for this round consisted of (photo from left):

Nicole Krzmarcik (intern with PUNY), Kelsey Dutton (intern with Big John Games), Alfonzo Melton (alumnus, interned with Street Factory Media), and Violet Sunde (alumna, interned at Crash + Sue’s).

It’s no surprise that this panel covered some crucial topics.  Each member discussed their internship responsibilities, suggestions for networking, utilizing social media, and solutions for staying creative.

Our thanks to the panel!  Keep your eyes open for the next opportunity to network on campus with alumni and your peers!

#MNMAA #Networking #Internships #mediaarts #animation #PUNY #Crash+Sue's #BigJohnGames

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PANCAKE PARTY!!!

Come hangout and eat pancakes with us in Room 319! :D

#pancakeparty #welcomeback #breakfast #ai #aistudents #mnmaa #animationstudents #winterquarter

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Student Highlight: Tim Tapp

Graduating this quarter Tim Tapp, a Media Arts and Animation student is ready for the next step. When asked why he chose animation Tip replied, “Because working a real job is slowly killing me. Who wouldn’t want to draw for a living?” Tim is inspired by Cliff Burton, Charles Schulz, Frank Frazetta, Sun Rises, Sonic The Hedgehog, and cereal at exactly 12:34 am. Akira Toriyama, Rumiko Takashi, a lot of music, cartoons, and people are also big contributors. He draws inspiration from many different and oddball things that are not directly art related.

Tim wants to draw, tell stories, and create opportunities/jobs for others to do the same. Right after graduation he plans on watching Sharknado, Weekend At Bernies, and doing a lot of drawing. Some words of wisdom from Tim, “Don’t get a real job and get outside.” Tim Tapp is off to start is career and ready for what lays ahead.

Check out more of Tim’s stuff here: http://magicbagotricks.tumblr.com

#studenthighlight #tim tapp #futureanimator

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YOU CAN DO THE THINGS

Finals are upon us, but don’t forget Friday week 11 in Room 319 at 9am-1pm come hang out and unwind! You can get through finals. Make sure to grab a cup of coffee or two!

#finalsweek #college #positivity

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Student Highlight: Todd Kong

Graduating this quarter Todd is ready to make it big in the industry. Fun stories and characters drew Todd into animation, which inspired him to draw... a lot. He saw himself in the industry even as a child. Anime, manga, and videogames influenced his decision to strive for his dream of character animation and design. 

Todd interned at School Space Media. It could be slow at times, but also very flexible. They have a huge and very organized archive of past work to study as well as draw inspiration from. Once you intern at SMM, you are an After Effects master by the time you leave. 

When it comes to looking for inspiration, Todd keeps his eyes open for anything cool. After graduating his fiancee and himself are starting a YouTube channel, “Let’s Play with TNT.” Along with his passions Todd hopes to have a fulltime studio job, preferably at a gaming studio, as well as freelance as their YouTube channel grows. 

Check out Todd’s website to see more of his work!

 http://www.toddkongart.com/

#studenthighlight #futureanimator

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Week 11 Town Hall and Wrap Up Party! :D

Come have fun with us Friday week 11 in Room 319 at 9am-1pm! Food, Fun, and Lafe will Sing! Talk of a skyway mural, volunteer initiatives, and BBQ will be happening! A few wrap up talks on Quarterly Art Drop, BBQ Idea Pitches Due, and the Fashion collab Project Due! Lots of things happening be sure to join in! Hope to see you guys there!

#bethereorbesquare #animationparty #townhallparty

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Wrap Party For Danger & Eggs

There is a wrap party on Sunday the 15th at 3-7pm Pepito’s Parkway Theater 4817 Chicago Ave South 

Come celebrate the new amazon series, Danger & Eggs with creator Mike Owens 

Hope to see you there!

#danger & eggs #mikeowens #wrapparty #newamazonseries #amazon #animation #bethere

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BLOCKHEAD 2015

One crazy awesome day! So much talent and amazing work. Congrats to all that participated and the winners. Hope to see you there next time!

If you did miss out on this event check out the blockhead video here: https://vimeo.com/144381659

#blockhead #filmfestival #blockhead2015 #aistudents #futureanimators #studentwork #aiproud

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Costume Party!!!

Waiting for BLOCKHEAD we celebrated with festive music and crazy costumes!

#costumeparty #futureanimators #happyhalloween #blockhead2015 #blockhead

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Let’s Decorate Room 319!

Show off your talent and help make room 319 represent the crazy imagination of animation students! Get your submissions in ASAP and keep a look out on the blog for all the upcoming prints. Hope to see your stuff on the wall soon!

#call for entry #decorate #inspire #showoffyourskills #getdrawing

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Ai Alumni Brent Droog Q&A

Ai alumni Brent Droog gave some awesome advice and shared his story with students. If you missed this event feel free to check out his site and keep a look out for future events! http://www.brentdroog.com/87918/reel

#aialumni #brent droog #futureanimators #Q&A

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Big Bi Quarterly Panel

Students were able to hear about the process and stories from all of the BBQ, a 24 hour animation challenge. Hope to see you at the next BBQ event!

#BBQ #bigbiquarterly #futureanimators #animationstudents

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BLOCKHEAD FESTIVAL 2015

An amazing collection of student work for BLOCKHEAD! Check out all these talented artists and their work!

https://vimeo.com/144381659

#blockhead #blockhead2015 #animation #studentwork #futureartists #mediaarts

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BLOCKHEAD and All The Things

Next week is BLOCKHEAD!!!

Monday: Cartoons and Cereal day! Pajamas are not mandatory, but recommended for maximum comfort and awesomeness...

Thursday: BLOCKHEAD!!! Before you go to St. Anthony Main Theater in 319 around 2:00 PM there will be a Costume Party! Dress to Impress...

Screening is at 7:00 PM in St. Anthony Main Theater!  Hope to see you there and Happy Halloween!

#halloween #blockhead #ai #futureanimators #cartoonsandcereal #dressup #dresstoimpress #stanthonymaintheater

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“The Good Dinosaur” Behind The Scenes Presentation and Q&A With Michael O’Brien

Pixar Artist Michael O’Brien will be presenting 8-9am on Wednesday, October 21st in Pence 109-113 Hope to see you there for this awesome event!

#the good dinosaur #michael o'brien #pixar #q&a #animation #animationevent

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Pete Docter comes to Minneapolis!

By Kelsey Dutton

A few weeks ago, we had a celebrity, one of the world’s greatest storytellers, visit Minneapolis: Pete Docter. Never heard of him? Have you heard of “Monsters, Inc.”? “Up”? Or Pixar’s latest movie, “Inside Out”? Yeah, he directed those. The Oscar-winning director came to the Minneapolis Westminster Forum on September 28th to share about his latest success with “Inside Out” and to shed some light on the ins and outs of animation production. He even brought a personal short he had done in high school to share. The short was about a child experiencing a Minnesota winter because Docter is actually from Bloomington, a Minnesota-native. Coming to Minneapolis to give this talk was coming home, to where his storytelling journey began. Docter’s main thesis was that art is essential. Art is storytelling, and storytelling is how we relate to the world. As a child and teenager, Docter had always loved cartoons, but what drew him to animation was the fact that it moved and told the story through motion. He started at Pixar when it was just a small computer company and experienced its transition from a newly-formed company to the animation giant Pixar is today. He was part of the original team that pitched “Toy Story” and then went on to pitch the original story for “Monsters, Inc.” and “Up.” Another key part of animation that Docter wanted to share with his fellow Minnesotans is that the storytelling in animation is a long and challenging process. The story is going to change a lot. For instance, Docter’s original idea for the story of “Up” was about two princes who lived in a floating castle. Do you remember that part of “Up”? Me neither. It take hundreds of people spending thousands of hours researching, and brainstorming, and drawing like crazy just to get a grasp on a solid story for a movie. Overall production for a full-length feature can take up to five years. But that long process can be one of the most rewarding things a person can experience, and Pixar’s artists and animators get to spend all of those hours doing what they are most passionate about: creating art that tells a story people will enjoy. Docter’s inspirational words resonated with the audience and with many people throughout Minnesota who were able to listen to the podcast on Public Radio. His parents were at the event; several of his former teachers were there, his friends, a great deal of the local animation community, and more. He has clearly touched a lot of lives and I certainly was inspired to work hard and create, create, create.

So if you missed Docter’s talk, check out the podcast at Minnesota Public Radio’s website and be inspired yourself. You can listen at:

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/29/mpr_news_presents

But for now I will leave you with one of the quotes that resonated most with me: “At their best movies, are an art form… And to me all art is storytelling. It’s about talking to someone, telling them how you feel about something that happened to you.

I believe art is as essential to our existence as breathing and eating. The world out there can be a big and lonely place and it is easy to feel like we are all alone, so we tell stories to each other. “

So get out those sketchbooks, start telling your own stories, and be sure to attend that next animation event. I promise, you will leave motivated. Thanks for reading.

#petedocter #animation #animationevent #motivated #insideout #pixar #disney

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Pancake Party and TMNT

Last Friday was an awesome welcome back party celebrated with pancakes! Laura Hohman, an Ai alumni visited and ate with us before she gave a presentation of what she has been up to since graduation.

#pancakeparty #welcomeweek #tmnt #laurahohman #aialumni