FREE digital animation workshop in Bricktown Wednesday

[metro]

3DecemberHarkins Bricktown Cinemas 16

150 East Reno Avenue,
Oklahoma City, OK 73104


PL Studios hosts a tremendously talented line-up of some of the top people in the world of digital animation. Come and listen to speakers such as Anjelica Casillas (Manager of Digital Production at Rhythm + Hues),
Jesse Seppi (Co-Founder of Tronic) and Anthony Christov (Character & Environment Designer at Pixar).

Free to the public, you can reserve a seat by going to 3December 2008 - Hosted by Digital-Tutors, Service of PL Studios, Inc..

http://www.wimgo.com/events/62730/3december

[metro]

Sounds like this conference was bigger than I and probably most of us thought. Good to see more attention on OKC, especially during tough economic times.

OKC hosts animation convention
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record December 4, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY – PL Studios Inc. does business with some of the biggest names in animation from its Oklahoma City office, and this year brought an international computer graphics event to town.


Greg Punchatz, senior creative director at Janimation, answers questions about 3-D industries during 3December, the world’s largest computer graphics event Wednesday. Right: Anjelica Casillas, manager of Digital Production at Rhythm + Hues. (Photo by Maike Sabolich)


Piyush Patel, CEO of PL Studios, worked to convince Autodesk Inc., a California-based 2-D and 3-D design software company, to include Oklahoma on its list of sites for the 10th 3December event held simultaneously in cities around the world.The event brings together experts in the animation and computer design field to share their knowledge and show off their techniques from motion picture and television work with budding animators.

Patel said everyone he called to invite immediately replied and said they would love to come to Oklahoma, including Pixar’s Anthony Christov, who has worked on several Academy Award-winning films.

Patel said he expected more than 400 people from around the country to attend Wednesday’s session at Harkins Theatre in Lower Bricktown to see demonstrations, talk shop, and learn techniques from some of the designers and animators behind films like The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man and Finding Nemo.

Patel said the company spent about $15,000 on the event, which was free to the public.
In addition to showcasing some of the top animators in the world, Patel said he hopes to persuade designers and animators to consider practicing their trade in Oklahoma.
PL Studios Digital-Tutors video-based educational training programs are used around the world and created in Oklahoma.

“We sell to almost every art school and production studio,” Patel said. “Our brand is known around the world.”

Patel said the company is dedicated to staying in Oklahoma and helping advance the computer animation industry.

Jesse Seppi, co-founder of New York-based Tronic, said as the world becomes more connected, Oklahoma can have a place at the table in an industry normally seen only in New York and Los Angeles.

“Location is becoming less and less of a factor,” Seppi said. “However, it still is a factor, and you do have to attract certain clients and make them want to come and visit and stay.”

Anjelica Casillas, with Rhythm + Hues, who worked on the Academy Award-winning film The Golden Compass, said Oklahoma can help its budding design industry by focusing on education to train and keep homegrown talent here to establish new companies.
“The talent is really what creates the company,” she said.

Patel said animation programs like ones offered at Francis Tuttle Technology Center are a step in the right direction, but the state will also have to be desirable to outside talent.

“Our challenge is how to attract more creative people,” he said. “That’s what we need from Oklahoma.”

Greg Punchatz, senior creative director with Dallas-based Janimation, said with PL Studios, Oklahoma City has more of a graphics community than when he started out in Dallas.

“I think you’re off to a good start,” he said.

Patel said the company is committed to staying in Oklahoma and growing the industry here, and hopes to host another 3December event next year. This year other events were held in several cities, including New York, London and Tokyo.

Dale Carman, chief visioneer of Reel FX Creative Studios in Dallas, said Oklahoma has the elements to be the site of a computer animation industry if people are willing to put in the work to establish their careers here.

“You just need to be insanely passionate about it and believe that you can pull it off,” he said.