News from SJSU Animation/Illustration

Visual Development Students Visit Lucasfilm’s Letterman Digital Arts Center

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 22:20:07 -0800

Students in Professor Courtney Granner’s Fall 2011 Visual Development class kicked off the Spring 2012 semester a few days early with a January 20th visit to Lucasfilm’s twenty-three acre campus in the Presidio National Park in San Francisco. University Relations Manager Anita Stokes and University Relations Representative Ryan Howe treated the students to an informative tour of the facilities as well as a screening of show reels from both Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. After a lunch with Animation/Illustration alumni, students gathered outside the studio for a photo opportunity with renowned Jedi master, Yoda, whose good advice “Do or do not. There is no try,” will inspire the class as they begin the new semester.

Pictured far left: Professor Courtney Granner
Pictured far right: Lucasfilm University Relations Manager Ryan Howe

A/I Goes to the Circus!

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 22:05:04 -0800

On Sunday Nov 6th, an enthusiastic group of 51 A/I students accompanied by three instructors went to San Francisco to see TOTEM, Cirque Du Soleil's latest show. The field trip provided a great opportunity for Animation/Illustration students to observe the beauty, power and magic of live theater as well as Cirque’s trademark blend of live music, heart-stopping stunts, mind-blowing technological feats and gorgeous costumes. The show was worthwhile from every point of view: the movement, the acting, the sets, the make-up and costumes, and the video projections all provided inspiration for future student projects.

Animation/Illustration Program Begins Collaboration with Texas A&M

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 22:01:25 -0800

This fall, the SJSU Animation/Illustration program started an important collaboration with Texas A&M. Lead jointly by SJSU Assistant Professor Raquel Coelho and Texas A&M Associate Professor and Department Head Tim McLaughlin, a team of seven students are working together to create fully rigged 3-D characters. The characters were designed and modeled by SJSU students and are being rigged by a group of graduate students from Texas A&M with input and feedback from the SJSU animators. Classes are taught virtually using Skype, while blogs and Google Docs are used to keep information flowing between all involved. The group makes use of widely available software to connect creative minds with the goal of generating memorable characters for use by animation students at both universities. Professor Coelho notes that this project “is a way to explore a new model of a virtual classroom, which we hope will benefit students across both campuses.”

Pictured: Graduate students at Texas A&M connect with SJSU students with Skype.

SJSU Animation/Illustration Alumni Make Their Mark at Lucas Animation

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:23:42 -0800

On a recent visit to LucasFilm’s Big Rock Ranch in Marin County, Animation/Illustration Program Coordinator Alice Carter visited with SJSU alumni working on the popular “Clone Wars” television series as well as new projects scheduled for release in the future. “I was gratified to hear that our graduates are making major contributions and distinguishing themselves with both their work ethic and their positive attitude,” Carter says.

“Our graduates not only boost their own careers with their accomplishments, but also help create internship and employment opportunities for our current students. “Clone Wars” recently garnered five nominations for the 39th annual Annie Awards, the animation industry’s highest honor. After looking at some of the innovative work created for the show, Carter and the Spartan graduates assembled in the Big Rock Studio living room for a photo opportunity.

Pictured (left to right): Front row: Andrea Rhodes, Saul Ruiz, Anthony Ermio, Alice Carter, Cole Higgins, Zack Elsworth, Chris McKane. Back row: Don Ta, John Paul Balmet, Micah Sibert, Paul Nguyen, Martin Kau, Jeff Sangalli, and Cullen Brown. Not pictured: Colin Fix, Elyse Regan Omernick

Animation/Illustration Student Visualizes NASA Discovery

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:11:17 -0800

During the 2011-2012 winter break, graduate student Lior Taylor completed a unique illustration assignment visualizing the latest discovery by NASA’s Kepler mission. The Kepler Scientific Mission, lead by SJSU professor and co-investigator Natalie Batalha, uses a $680 million orbiting telescope to search for planets outside our solar system.

San Diego State University professor William Welsh, who made the discovery, invited Lior to create an illustration and a short 3-D animation depicting the two binary-star planetary systems (called circumbinary planets). Designated Kepler 34b and Kepler 35b, the new planets merited worldwide media coverage including an article in this month’s issue of Nature. The new findings indicate that circumbinary planets may be common in our galaxy.

The discovery (and the artwork) were made public during the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Austin Texas this January and have also been reported by major scientific news outlets around the world.

To read more about the amazing discovery by the Kepler team, visit the NASA AMES Research Center at: http://kepler.nasa.gov/multimedia/artwork/artistsconcepts/?ImageID=206 and San Diego State’s Kepler site at: http://go.sdsu.edu/kepler/

An illustration for the Kepler Discovery and Lior Taylor at work

SJSU Animation/Illustration Featured at the San Jose Short Film Festival

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:55:06 -0700

The 3rd annual SAN JOSE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (SJSFF), playing October 20th – 23rd, is presented this year at Santana Row’s CineMark’s CineArt Theatre. Three of the short films showing at the event come from SJSU’s very own Animation/Illustration Program.
“Bloom,” a four-minute animated short from SJSU student Directors Emily Johnston and Brian Kistler, teaches us that when your only companions are loneliness and despair, sometimes a simple act of kindness, can blossom into something so much more. “Bye Bye Bruce” is an experimental and thoughtful short directed by SJSU’s Yung-Han Chang.
“Why Do We Put Up With Them?,” a short animated poem directed by Assistant Professor David Chai and produced by a student crew is about a four-legged family member and, as the title states, why we put up with them?

After many of the screenings, there will be several Red Carpet Receptions which will include the Opening Night After-Party, the 3 Day Film Challenge Awards, and the Closing Night After-Party, all including drinks, hors d'oeuvres and prizes. Tickets, schedule & information can be found at http://www.sjshortfest.com/ or on the event’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/sjsff.

Raquel Coelho Lectures At Animasyros

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:22:50 -0700

Assistant Professor Raquel Coelho represented the Animation/Illustration program, at Animasyros, the annual International Animation Festival and Forum, held in September on the island of Syros, in Greece. The American Embassy in Athens sponsored her trip in recognition of the influence of the United States in the entertainment industry as well as the important role of the nation’s animation educators in the expanding field of computer animation. Other American animators sponsored by the Embassy were Cassidy Curtis from DreamWorks Animation, and Jim Capobianco, from Pixar Animation Studios.

The festival included a competition section, a number of tributes to international festivals, seminars, workshops, and a professional forum. Professor Coelho, who delivered an invited lecture entitled “The Road to Animation” in the Professional Forum, reports that the talk was well received by an enthusiastic audience of students, educators and professional animators from Africa, the Middle East and Europe. “It was very inspiring to see so many incredible films, and to be a part of a very unique animation festival,” Professor Coelho writes. “I hope to be able to come back to Greece for more Animasyros next year!”

DreamWorks Modeler Visits SJSU Animation/Illustration

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:17:47 -0700

On October 12th, more than 250 Animation/Illustration students had the privilege of learning about 3D modeling from an amazing industry professional. Modeling Supervisor Josh West has been with PDI/DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation for nearly a decade, and has worked on some of the studio’s most celebrated animated feature films. As modeling supervisor and modeler he has played a major role in the development of many of DreamWorks’s iconic characters and environments. During his lecture Mr. West discussed the process of translating production art into models, the degree of detail required for feature, animation, the art of figure modeling, as well as the criteria for submitting portfolios to the studio. Advanced students who were able to meet with Mr. West prior to the lecture, were rewarded with individual critiques and feedback on their work.

Animation/Illustration Distance Learning Program Begins 16th Year

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:35:40 -0700

On October 11, the Animation/Illustration program kicked off the 16th consecutive year of its innovative Distance Learning Program with a virtual visit to LucasFilm. More than 100 students attended the session, which was broadcast over the university's Academic Technology Network video conferencing facilities. Two San Jose State alumni, LucasFilm Production Manager Doug Nichols and LucasFilm concept designer John Paul Balmet, provided the class content. The program began with professional practice insights from Mr. Nichols, whose list of film credits The Incredibles, UP, Finding Nemo, Fantasia 2000, and Mulan. Mr. Balmet devoted the last hour to critiques of work from both junior level students and from students in the capstone A/I BFA Seminar.

Professor Courtney Granner, who coordinates the Distance Learning Program, has already scheduled five additional classes with LucasFilm as well as a class with Nickelodeon Studios in Los Angeles. “The DLP is unique in that it regularly connects students with industry professionals,” Professor Granner comments. “This opportunity not only gives our students feedback, but also gives them practice articulating their ideas over distances that are not practical to travel—a practice that is increasingly common in the industry. It takes a lot of work to put this together, but the results make it worthwhile. SJSU graduates are employed in top industry jobs, and I believe that the DLP gives them an edge on the competition while providing artistic skills that will last a lifetime.”

SJSU Students Attend the Ottawa International Animation Festival

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 10:14:23 -0700

Professors David Chai and Lecturer David Yee accompanied a group of ten Animation/Illustration students to the 2011 Ottawa International Animation Festival. From September 23 through the 25th, the group had the opportunity to view some of the world’s most innovative animation packed into a comprehensive festival program. The four-day schedule included more than 75 short films, two feature films, and a slate of presentations including Two Guys Named Joe by John Canemaker, The Marvelous Adventures of Pen and Thurop with Pen Ward and Trurop Van Orman, The Making of Pixar’s “La Luna” with Director Enrico Casarosa, and The Story Behind Winnie the Pooh/Shorts at the Studio: The Ballad of Nessie with Walt Disney Animation Directors Steve Anderson and Don Hall, Producer Dorothy McKim and Supervising Animator Mark Henn. 
Animation/ Illustration student Jeannie Chang returned with an expanded world-view. “Going to Ottawa is like taking your eyes and your mind out for a walk. You get to see how artists all over the world use animation in different ways to express their ideas and creativity,” she writes. Alvyn Villanueva was similarly inspired. "The trip to Canada marked a lot of ‘firsts’ for me, first time on a plane, first time in another country, first time meeting so many people working in the same field, and all as part of a positive and broadening experience.” For Leann Hill, the experience was not entirely unfamiliar. “Going to the Ottawa Animation Festival is a lot like animating at SJSU: You stay up all night but you get to learn an incredible amount while spending your time with amazing people."

Professors Attend SIGGRAPH 2011

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:08:52 -0700

In August, SJSU Professors Raquel Coelho, John Clapp, Alejandro Garcia and Lecturer Angela Wu traveled to Vancouver to attend SIGGRAPH 2011, the 38th annual International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The faculty members
participated in the 8th Annual Educators’ Symposium hosted by DreamWorks Animation, the Disney Educators’ Symposium, and numerous other events organized by professional studios and associations. On the final day of the conference, Assistant Professor Raquel Coelho moderated a panel on Curriculum for 3D Animation for which she recruited leaders from institutions and studios worldwide including Gobelins L’ecole de L’image, Paris, France; Calarts, Valencia, California; Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota Florida,
Film Akademie of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany; Texas A&M, College Station, Texas; as well as the Head of Outreach for DreamWorks Animation, and the Director of Talent Development for Walt Disney Studios. The panel was a smash hit, attended by educators and students from schools across the globe. SJSU Animation/Illustration is already planning for SIGGRAPH 2012 when the conference will convene in Los Angeles.

Caption: Assistant Professor Raquel Coelho Moderates Panel at Siggraph 2011 in Vancouver, Washington

SJSU Animation/Illustration Students Win $6000 in Scholarship Competition

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 15:20:40 -0700

The New York Society of Illustrators has announced the scholarship winners in their 30th Annual Student Scholarship Competition. The twenty-five winners represent the best of 174 pieces selected from a field of more than 6000 entries for an exhibition at the Society’s gallery.

Eight SJSU students will be represented in the exhibition, and three were awarded monetary awards by a jury of industry professionals. Senior, Priscilla Wong won both the $3000 Albert Dorne scholarship and the Art Department scholarship. Ms. Wong will work as a concept artist at DreamWorks following graduation in May. Kristina Wayte, who will receive the $2,500 Microvisions scholarship and classmate Aidan Sugano, who earned a $500 FICA award, are currently interviewing for positions at film and gaming studios.

Over the past 30 years, the Society has distributed more than $1,500,000 to deserving students from their endowment, from private and corporate donors, and from the proceeds of an annual auction. This year the SJSU Animation/Illustration student organization contributed $1000 for a scholarship recognizing excellence in narrative/storytelling. This contribution marks the first time students have donated funds to help their peers at other institutions. Nicole Gervacio, a student at California College of Art won the SJSU-sponsored scholarship and will be presented with a check at the opening reception by SJSU club president Paul Yula and vice-president Brian Kistler. The reception will be held on Friday May 6, from 6 to 9 P.M.

The Student Scholarship Exhibition will be on display at the Society’s Museum of American Illustration from May 4 through May 28. The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. The gallery is free of charge and open 10 A.M. - 8 P.M. on Tuesdays, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Wednesday through Friday, and on Saturday from noon until 4 P.M.

Artwork by Priscilla Wong