Bryan Engram

2009-12-31T06:22:00.004-06:00

PBS KERA Interview

Last week I had the opportunity to give an interview for KERA and discuss some of the ways technology breakthroughs over the last decade have changed art and media. One of the largest is the huge advent of social media. I talked about how Reel FX has been involved in utilizing this technology for current and future projects.

Here is the link for the interview:

KERA Link

2009-10-31T13:30:00.003-05:00

Debra Medina for Texas Governor

We finally have a principled candidate running for governor of Texas. Unfortunately, there has been a near blackout by the media on her candidacy.

The media is throwing up all the same dogs for our consideration. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Rick Perry have been disasters in their current roles as Governor and Senator. They both continually vote for HUGE government and bailouts. It is beyond me why people continue to go back to the well with these crooks.

Debra Medina actually wants to take the state and country back to the roots of the Constitution. I am extremely excited about her running for governor. I just hope enough people find out about her candidacy so she has a fighting chance to win.

Take a look at her website:

Debra Medina

2009-10-31T13:17:00.005-05:00

Featured Mentor for October Newsletter

WooHoo!!!

Here is the link:

Newsletter

2009-09-10T02:13:00.007-05:00

Don't Play Scared

I played football in high school, and truth be told, I still really miss it. It wasn't just that I loved to play, but I think football taught me more about life than just about anything else I have experienced in my life. It has such a profound affect on me that at one point in college I switched my major in order to be a football coach. I realized soon there were certain family sacrifices that go along with being a coach that I wasn't willing to make. But everything about the sport appeals to me on different levels (teamwork, motivation, responsibility, leadership, etc).

One of the largest lessons I learned from playing football was something referred to in sports as "Playing Scared".

For those who don't follow football or familiar with the Dallas Cowboys, above is a picture of cornerback Larry Brown. He was the MVP of Superbowl XXX in 1996. He was a 12th round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys in 1990 (they only have 7 rounds now). He had little to no chance of making the team, much less being the starting corner on a 3 time superbowl team, much less the MVP of their last superbowl victory.

So, how did Larry Brown succeed with the Cowboys?

When Larry came into training camp before the season started, he knew he had little chance of making the team. After all, he was a 12th round draft pick, that no team cared about or thought very highly of. In fact, in the first week he actually walked out of camp and quit because he didn't feel like he was getting a chance.

However, when he came back to camp he decided that he now had nothing to lose. Any fear or insecurities he had were buried and he just played without fear. Low and behold he started making plays all over the field in practice. He could miraculously cover some of the best wide receivers on the team and in the league. He became a starter two games into the his rookie year, and went on to earn all rookie honors and nearly won rookie of the year. He played 7 seasons with the Cowboys and earned 3 superbowl rings as part of the team of the 90's.

For 6 of those years he played as if he had nothing to lose. But his 7th and final year with the Cowboys, they brought in Deion Sanders to play cornerback opposite Larry. Deion was flashy, and flamboyant and a fantastic player. This caused teams to start throwing the ball at Larry more often. Early in that final season Larry gave up a few long touchdowns to the opposing teams. It was obvious this affected his confidence, and you could see with each game he played more and more uptight. He was afraid of getting beat, and that caused him to play worse and actually get beat more often. For the rest of the season this sent him into a death spiral with his confidence and his play. He was playing scared.

His final game with the Cowboys, he caught 2 interceptions in Superbowl XXX to earn him MVP honors. It seemed for one game he was able to get his confidence back up enough to make those plays. Shortly after however, he signed a contract to play for the Oakland Raiders but never regained his confidence and played very poorly. He was out of the league in less than 2 years.

Larry Brown is a great example, and I saw it with teammates growing up playing football; those who played scared found ways to lose. They were so afraid of making a mistake they would either make more mistakes or even get themselves hurt from not going full speed.

When you aren't playing scared in life, you make decisions and conduct your life without fear of the mistakes you might make. You are playing to win, rather than playing to "not lose". And the simple fact you are working hard going 110mph, you can actually make a mistake and just as quickly correct it. It was that way in sports, and it is that way in life.

This is a very important principle and life lesson that I have to continually remind myself of. We only have one life, and to live it in fear or scared of making a mistake make it a sad life indeed.

God has given all of us strengths and weaknesses and the ability to reason. He has given us talents that He expects us to use, and use with boldness. Not cockiness, and not conceit...but with confidence in who we are and where it comes from.

I hope as I move forward with my career and my life that those words and are ever etched on my mind and heart...

Don't Play Scared.

2009-08-15T19:23:00.004-05:00

My New Favorite Show

I wouldn't say that I am a big TV watcher. I actually try to avoid most reality shows, and I didn't get caught up in the LOST obsession like the rest of my friends. But every so often a show comes along that really peaks my interest. And even more rare is a reality TV show that makes me look forward to the next week.

I have found my new favorite show...Shark Tank on ABC. Granted, so far there has only been one episode, but I have watched that first episode twice already and looking to the next one.

The show is a creation by Mark Burnett, who also created Survivor. Personally I don't like Survivor, but I guess the guy knows what he is doing since many millions of people love that show.

Shark Tank will obviously cater to business buffs, and entrepreneur wannabees. The idea of the show is that five successful businessmen and women judge budding entrepreneurs to determine whether to invest in their ideas or not. The panel actually uses their own money when investing or striking a deal with entrepreneur contestants. Just in the first show alone 2 people have been willing to sell the majority of their company to the judges. Those were the good outcomes.

Others have been destroyed on the show for their business plans. Whether they have some loony idea like implanting humans with blue tooth devices, or mortgaging the entire future of their families to chase this entrepreneur dream, the judges let them know and don't hold back. It really is interesting to watch.

Anyway, everyone has their flavor of TV. I guess this happens to be mine. :)

So check it out when you have a chance.

Shark Tank

2009-08-04T02:51:00.003-05:00

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Article

The folks from the Ft Worth Star-Telegram came out to Reel FX recently to do a profile on the studio. They sat down with some of us to talk about the history of the company, where we were and what the company hopes to accomplish in the future. Overall I think they did a nice job.

The only bummer was the last quote in the article, as I didn't get credit for the quote. But it is all good. Always a good thing for the studio to get some pub.

Check it out:

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/story/1513796.html

2009-08-02T23:46:00.003-05:00

Siggraph AM Panel in New Orleans

I'll be in "N'awlens" this week for Siggraph and sitting on Shawn Kelly's AM Q&A panel on Wednesday. Reel FX and Animation Mentor are also having their Siggraph party as well that night.

I hope I'll get a chance to see some folks I haven't seen in a while. And I don't think I've been to New Orleans since I was 10 years old. So, it should be fun.

2009-07-10T02:56:00.003-05:00

Success

It has been a while since I've read this quote, and honestly I had forgotten about it until I stumbled across it today. It is definitely a helpful reminder. Enjoy.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

2009-06-19T20:31:00.006-05:00

Federal Reserve Transparency Act...almost there

Most people don't know what the Federal Reserve is, does, or even its history. In fact, some folks have never even heard of it.

It is the semi-private/public entity that controls our money system. It can print money, control interest rates, and essentially dictate the economy of the the country. It was put into place to prevent recessions, depressions, and panics. Yet since its creation in 1913 we have had nothing but an up and down economy with the Great Depression, numerous recessions, and near collapse this past year. All the while maintaining a staggering and climbing inflation rate over these 90+ years. They haven't done a very good job.

And during this latest panic, it started printing money like crazy. They bailed out banks, auto companies, insurance companies, and institutions all over the world. In fact, there is over 2 trillion dollars missing that they refuse to divulge the whereabouts. The business magazine, Bloomberg has even tried to sue them over it, demanding the public know where the money went. They haven't had any luck:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aatlky_cH.tY

The Congress can't even find out where the money went or to whom. You see, this institution has no oversight, and yet controls the entire system of money. They can print at will, and give it to whoever they want.

So, a bill was recently introduced in Congress called HR1207 Federal Reserve Transparency Act. It would allow for the Federal Reserve to finally be audited to find out what they are doing with the United States money. So far the bill has huge support. It already has 237 co-sponsors in the House. If it can get 290 co-sponsors, there is no way Obama or anyone could veto it.

I encourage everyone to support this bill. It is very important that the people finally find out who these guys are and who they are giving our money to.

HR1207

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1207

2009-03-17T00:03:00.004-05:00

Black Freighter coming March 24th

We had the opportunity to work on Tales of the Black Freighter at RFX. It was directed by the most talented Mike Smith and Danny DelPurgatorio. They did an awesome job, and the movie is already getting really good reviews.

reviews

I hope every has a chance to take a look. :)

2009-03-01T01:09:00.002-06:00

Liberty

His sign pretty much says it all doesn't it? :)

2009-02-06T00:12:00.002-06:00

Who's #1...Who's #1?!

We found out today that our humble straight to DVD movie, Open Season 2, has hit number one in DVD sales this week.

Woohoo!!!!

Again, I can't tell you how great it was to work with the directors on the project (Matt and Todd). And the entire crew worked extremely hard, and did a fantastic job. Really awesome job, guys!

My hope now is that OS2 has a good run on the shelves. Go buy it!

:)

2008-12-30T03:48:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year!

Well, 2008 is coming to a close. It has been a tough one. Obviously, financially it has been a doozy for the US, and really the whole world. Not sure what will happen economically in the coming year, but here's hoping it is not as bad as it looks like it might be.

As for me in 2008, it was tough because of a lot of changes that I decided to cram into this year. Let's see:

Wife got pregnant in March
Finished Open Season 2 in May
Wife graduated from school in May
Asked to oversee 3 departments in June
Wife found first job in July
Bought new house and moved in August
Had some health problems (and doctors visits) in September
Had some organizational changes at work in October
Baby born in November
Finding a nanny to watch the new baby in December

As you can see, all of those are pretty big deals (at least to me anyway). I think it has been 6 years since I had that kind of overall life change in that short amount of time. With that said, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right? Everytime I have had to go through a lot of stuff at once, I am better for it in the long run. Not the mention, I have learned a ton this year. From history, to the economy, to business, to babies, to people, and especially about myself and life.

So my goal for the coming year is to continue to learn as much as I can. And above all while I learn...to focus. When big changes happen in life, it is hard to stay focused in order to take in the and learn from the things that the experience teaches. And really what good is any experience if you don't learn something from it? Only with focus and having proper perspective while going through the experience can you come out of the other side a better person.

So, I am excited about 2009. Despite all the negative news on TV and the prospect of more bad news, the most important thing for all of us is to stay focused on what is important and learn from what happens. Rest assured that one day in the future, what you learned from past experiences will benefit others around who don't know what to do. I think they call that wisdom. :)

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

2008-10-01T23:23:00.002-05:00

For those still confused...

For those still confused about our economy, what is going on, and what happened...here is a video I posted a while back to explain how the United States banking system and monetary policy works. As someone who loves to study history, and the founding fathers in particular, it seems they knew exactly what would eventually happen with our banking system and our country.

Here is a quote by Thomas Jefferson that is telling:

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs"

Watch the video: Money, Banking, and the Federal Reserve

2008-09-28T01:05:00.002-05:00

Adapt 2008

Just got back from Adapt 2008 in Montreal. It was a very fun event. I had the honor of speaking this year. I had a chance to meet lots of great people, and it was my first time to visit Canada. The architecture there in Montreal is beautiful. Also, I had a chance to dust the cobwebs off from college foreign language class and try to read french again (all the signs there are in french). I still can't speak french, but a few words were familiar. I had a really nice time there, hope to visit again one day.

Here is the link: Adapt 2008

2008-08-23T22:51:00.002-05:00

Keep Moving Forward

Some consider only artistry when determining if a movie is great. Others only consider the entertainment value. For me, these 2 movies were great for their message.

Extremely inspiring...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm5AEG47Vi4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slzXTeK3WY

2008-08-18T03:01:00.004-05:00

What Defines You?

Just back from Siggraph 2008 in Los Angeles. It was a good trip. I met lots of great people and caught up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. I really enjoyed the Pixar Story Masterclass, it was really well put together and made me think about the stories we are trying to tell at RFX. The Reel FX MOHO (motor home) this year was a success. Joey, Dap, and the rest pulled off a great event. Thanks guys!

While in the “city of Angels” this past week I began to ponder something I am reminded of on occasion. Siggraph is a place you get to see some amazing work. So many talented artists gather and celebrate the work of other talented artists. All these artists have diverse backgrounds, gifts, and things in their life that brought them to this point. As fantastic as their work is, what else do I know about the people who made it? All I see is their artistic expression…the final result on the big screen.

I would say this is the case in a lot of industries/professions. Think of professional athletes. We watch them on TV, celebrate their fantastic talent of scoring touchdowns, hitting homeruns, etc. But at the end of the day, we know very little about them as people. I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, but I couldn’t tell you very much at all about who the “real” Emmitt Smith is. I can only tell you what the media portrayed, and the perception I have of who Emmitt Smith might be. By all accounts he seems like a nice guy, but for all I know he could be an ego maniac. And that is the root of the question I posed for this blogpost, “What Defines You?”

You’ve heard the term, “you are what you eat”. As funny as that sounds, many many people in our society hold a similar view of their career and life, “you are what you do”. They attach their identity and life to their occupation, money they make, clothes they wear, car they drive, house they live in…all external things. It is this external “image” of who they are that everyone sees and slowly becomes the perception. Overtime, this perception feeds on itself until one day no one, not even the individual, knows who they really are. They become this “thing” that walks around defined by the perception of what they can do or buy or drive. Not who they really are.

Society will often overlook the worst kinds of character flaws, if someone has talent. Arrogance, greed, dishonesty, negativity, cold, hatefulness. Not only are these tolerated, but they often will be given special treatment, huge amounts of money, and stature. From that point, the perception of talent or money becomes the overriding factor in how they are viewed and who people think they are. We associate talent, money, or fame with the idea that they must also be good people. Interesting isn’t it?

Think through history for a moment. Think of Presidents, Famous Athletes, Movie Stars, or even someone like Walt Disney. The history books are often very kind to them, and we may never actually get to know who these people really were. We know they had gifts, and talent, and “did” something considered great. If we were to go back in time and ask those around them who worked with them (or lived with them), we may get a very different story.

In contrast to this, I think of someone like my grandmother. Without question my grandmother is the greatest person I have ever known. No one has ever heard of my grandmother. She was never on TV or the internet, and only was mentioned in a newspaper for her obituary. She wasn’t a doctor, lawyer, entertainer, actor, artist, politician, or athlete. She was a homemaker. She raised 4 children. She spoke very softly. I never once heard her raise her voice. She helped everyone she came in contact with. She opened her home to everyone and fed the homeless. She would wait on people hand and foot, actually not allowing people to get up to do anything. She just wanted everyone to sit and relax. She would cry when she heard of someone getting hurt, getting cancer, or dying. She gave and donated the little money she had to people in need. Her heart was more tender than you can imagine. She loved her husband, she loved her kids, and grandkids…she loved everyone. At her funeral, we all talked about how special she was. And someone mentioned that they had never heard her say anything bad about another human being. The rest of room all started to think, and literally could not recall ever hearing her utter a bad word about anyone her entire life. Think about that for a second...

My grandmother will never be written about in history books. She never enjoyed fame or fortune while on this earth. She never “did” anything the world deems as important or newsworthy. But that is ok, because none of that stuff really matters in the long run…that isn’t what defined her. She wasn’t great because of a perception of talents or money she possessed, but great because of who she was. And because of that, I will honor her by naming my first born after her. And I will teach my children and grandchildren about her. My hope is that they grow up and be more like her and teach their children about her.

In the past I have mentioned this idea to some of my co-workers. It is extremely easy to take work too seriously. I am guilty of it for sure. I love my job. I can get so passionate about it that I will work many more hours than I care to admit. And it is in those moments I have to remind myself that my work, career, and this industry do not define who I am. I mean, what are they going to do at my funeral…show my demoreel and credit list? Give me a break. My hope is that they might be able to say half of what they said about my grandmother at her funeral. That is a lofty goal indeed.

So the question is, what defines you? Is it your job, your money, your car, your house, or something else? How about not letting those things define you, but rather the way you treat your family, friends, and strangers be what defines you. After all, isn’t who you are inside what is really most important in this life?

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

2008-07-04T16:08:00.004-05:00

Yet Another Reason Folks Should Come To Dallas

Dallas-Ft. Worth has lowest risk for home-price declines.
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

The latest home price risk forecast shows that Dallas-Fort Worth is overall the safest place in the country for stable home values...

Article

2008-06-01T15:45:00.009-05:00

Kids, Doctors, Houses, and Boog...Oh My!!!

It has been a while since I've posted on this blog. I think it is appropriate that it is tornado season in Texas, as that is how things feel right now...but in a good way. :)

We are wrapping up animation on Open Season 2. I can't tell you how fantastic the crew has been on this show. I've seen guys who are less than a year out of school come onto this project and perform like seasoned senior animators. It really is amazing what people can do when given a chance. I've also seen the senior guys go out of their way to help the junior guys improve and give them a sense of belonging. As a studio, I feel like everyone has really come together. With any job a crew can go one of 2 ways: Either crumble under the pressure and self destruct, or come together and attack the challenges. On OS2, the crew here did the latter and it shows in the work. The crew at Sony, all the off-site animators, and the guys in-house...Just amazing job by everyone!

In addition to finishing up OS2, my wife just graduated from Dental School...Huzzah! Now I guess she will want me to call her Dr. Engram. Umm...don't know about that. Well...maybe...she earned it after all. I've known her for 10 years, and she has been in school for all 10. I can't describe how relieved I am. It has been a long road. Congrats Dr. Toni Engram!

So with her finishing school, it is now time to start the next phase of our life. We've been waiting for her to graduate before buying our first house. It appears now is the time. We've been making trips to visit neighborhoods, scouring real estate websites, making lists, and checking them twice. We are getting closer to figuring out where we want to live. More than anything, we know we don't want to live in the "city" any longer. The commute for us has been next to zero...which has been awesome. But now I want to be where things are quiet, and calm, and much slower. So, we will go from no commute to about a 30 minute commute. The trade off is worth it to me. We will likely be moving south however. With folks continually moving north of Dallas...people are getting pushed up to Oklahoma. Eventually it simply gets too far away. So, I believe future growth will be south of Dallas. You can already start to see it. That is the plan right now.

And lastly, if finishing a movie, wife graduating, finding a new house weren't enough...my wife is also pregnant. We still don't know what the sex of the baby will be. I'm really excited. No matter whether it is a boy or a girl...I know he/she will change my life. The pregnancy has gone really well so far. We get advice from everyone...which is great. Due date looks to be Nov 15th. The next 6 months of our life is going to change drastically. Good thing I love change!

Until next time...here is a 4D pic of the baby...

2008-01-20T22:35:00.000-06:00

Ron Paul Revolution

It has been a while since I've posted. We've been pretty busy at Reel FX working away on Open Season 2. We've added 30 more artists since December in order to accommodate the footage. The animation and rigging teams are doing a great job (we combined the departments, btw). I am extremely proud, as they are doing top notch work in record time. It really is impressive.

In the midst of focusing on the job at hand at Reel FX, I have been spending most (if not all) of my spare time reading and studying things related to politics, economy, foreign policy, constitution, etc. I am ashamed to say that I have spent most of my life ignorant of the history of our nation, our constitution, and haven't had enough real knowledge to have an intelligent political discussion. I know what I was taught growing up, and a lot was good common sense. Much of it was based on my family's old school Republican roots. You know the good old days when it was about small government, low taxes, etc. These are good things. Unfortunately, never did I grow up hearing about liberty, individual rights, the founding fathers, and the constitution. Frankly, I had never even read the constitution until 6 months ago. Essentially, I knew nothing of what it truly means to be an American.

For the past year, and specifically the last 6 months, I have consumed as much information as I can and asked a lot of questions. What did the founding fathers believe? What is liberty? What is the difference between a right and a privilege? Are we a republic or a democracy...or neither? Why only 2 political parties? What exactly is a neo-con anyway? What is the history of our economic policy? What is the federal reserve? Are we still on the gold standard? What is the history of our foreign policy? What is the history of the wars we've fought? Why do we pay so much in taxes? What is supposed to be federal and what is supposed to be left up to the states?

For every answer I found to these questions, pushed me to ask another question. Along with the constitution I have read numerous books about the founders and how the country was started and why they did what they did. It has been both fascinating and frustrating at the same time. These principles for freedom are simply not taught or discussed anymore...not in schools and certainly not on TV. As a nation we have seriously lost our way, and fallen so far away from our foundation.

Which leads me to Ron Paul. Never in my life have a seen an honest politician before. Never have I seen a man who is so consistent with his principles that he has voted and said the same things for 30 years. More than anything, though, he loves the constitution. He loves freedom. He wants small government, sound economy, no taxes, and a return to the nation we were meant to be. Free and independent.

There are a great many people at work (and the nation) who have traveled down the path I have recently. As more folks begin to study, and learn...the more will start to see how important this election year is for the country. As I've said in previous posts, as fun as animation is there are some things that are simply much more important. Insuring we all have true freedom and liberty is the most important thing we can do this year (and in the coming years).

If you want to begin a journey studying about some of this stuff, here is a quick history of US economic policy, money, and the federal reserve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYZM58dulPE

Also, do a YouTube search for Ron Paul, and then start studying. With that, I will leave you with this quote:

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" - Benjamin Franklin

2007-08-13T01:18:00.000-05:00

Back from Vacation and Siggraph....Plus Cool News

So I had a really good 3 week stretch this month. I spent the first 2 weeks in Maui with my wife, Toni. When we got married 5 years ago, we didn't have any money at all. Our honeymoon was pretty sad really. Plus, since I didn't have a job at the time...I actually spent the entire trip reading personal finance books trying to figure out what I was going to do to take care of us. Pretty crazy. So this trip to Hawaii was a replacement to our honeymoon and also celebrate our 5th Anniversary.

Maui is absolutely beautiful. We stayed down in the south in Wailea. The sunsets are out of a movie. The fruit (and food in general) is amazing. I think I gained 15lbs in 2 weeks. Pineapple will never taste the same, or any fruit for that matter. It just has a smoothness to it there that defies explanation. The resort we stayed on was also something out of a movie. I would recommend that place to anyone going to Maui on vacation: Fairmont Kea Lani

With all that said, it did cost a pretty penny to go on the trip. In one hand it eats at you because the expenses really start to add up. But when you figure that this might be the only time in your life you go to Hawaii...you are able to justify a little more. It was really a beautiful trip.

No rest for weary however, as I was got back from my trip to Hawaii only to turn right around and head out for a week in San Diego for Siggraph. Having never been to San Diego, I have to say that it might be the most pleasant weather I've seen/felt anywhere. Maui actually got a little hot, but San Diego this past week was unbelievable. 70 degrees year round? C'mon...that's insane.

Anyway, it didn't hurt at all that RFX leased a small yacht to hold interviews on this year. I feel like it was a huge success. We had people stopping by the boat constantly all throughout the day...some just to hang out. I was able to meet and talk to a lot of great and talented folks. We conducted 43 interviews in 3 days time. Plus, I had a chance to see lots of good friends I haven't seen in while. This year Siggraph was MUCH better than last year in Boston. The events, the weather, the people, everything just turned out well.

The reason we had so many interviews is because RFX is in a hiring spree right now. For what you ask? Recently, we were awarded the upcoming Open Season 2 film from Sony. The entire studio is super excited about working with Sony and getting a shot to work on this film here in Dallas. All of our departments will have to staff up over the coming weeks and months as the film gets underway. So, if you have a hankerin' for moving to Dallas to help RFX continue to grow....sent those demoreels our way!

So lots of good stuff going on right now. I've had a really good summer, and now time to get back to work. With that I leave you with a couple of pictures I took on the beach at the resort we stayed at in Maui.

Aloha!

2007-06-13T00:28:00.000-05:00

Great News and Announcements

I've had a really good few weeks here. I can't get into all of it, as some of it pertains to potential work coming into the studio. But I can announce some good things that came about outside of our actual work at the studio.

The first thing is that I am now a proud member of Animation Mentor. I'll be starting next quarter, and getting my feet wet with the program by being a campus mentor initially. I'm pretty excited about it, to be honest. With so many other guys at Reel FX who are already a part of it...I was beginning to feel left out. We now have Kyle Clark, Tim Allen, Dave Vallone, Justin Barrett, Ray Chase, and myself representing RFX as Animation Mentors. I always heard them talking about it and how much fun they have, and so I thought I would jump in and get a chance to get involved as well. Really cool, can't wait to get started.

Second thing that happened is I had the honor of being invited to speak at this year's Industry Giants here in Dallas. Every year it is put on by a bunch of short guys....and it is a really cool event for the animation community. I was extremely humbled to speak this year, and I had a a blast getting to meet the other speakers and the folks in the audience. Always lots of passion comes through when you have those events...from professionals and students a like. it seems to always have a really cool energy to it. I had a great time!

Like I said, I do wish I could talk about the other stuff going on at the studio from a job perspective. Though I CAN talk about a new addition. I mentioned Dave Vallone above, and I am super excited about his new addition to our team. He is joining us from Blur (Sony and Blue Sky before that), and he will be helping me split duties as a supervising animator for RFX. Currently, the supervisor job rests squarely on me...and with a lot of jobs coming down the pipe it was clear I was gonna need some help. So, he is moving his family all the way from sunny LA this week in order to get settled into his new home in north Dallas. He is a super guy...a christian...great animator...and I am really excited to have him join our team.

Welcome to Texas, Dave!

2007-04-29T02:40:00.000-05:00

A Case of the PMDs

There is a disease that happens to some people once they have been in an industry for a while. It can happen if someone has been in a certain line of work for a period of time, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years…whatever. It’s not always just longevity or seniority that causes this disease, but also it can often rear its ugly head with a new promotion that takes them to a level of supervisor or manager. It happens in all professions and all industries, and only those with a certain mind set are immune. The disease I speak of is called PMDs. And it stands for “Paid My Dues”.

Since being in the animation industry, I have seen quite a few people having the PMDs. This attitude becomes most evident when a team is in a crunch, or is short of bodies to throw at a project. The team desperately needs their supervisor or manager, who has expertise in this area to help (or even be there for moral support). Instead of jumping in and helping the team members out, these individuals make the dreaded statement “I don’t have to do that anymore, I’ve paid my dues”. Even if the individual doesn’t verbally say it…you see it in their actions. A supervisor or manager’s team is trying to hit a deadline, and when the rest of the team is crunching until the wee hours…this person perpetually heads out of the office at 5pm. Thus leaving his/her team to fend for themselves night after night. Then come in the next morning and take credit for the amount of work done the night before. Hmmm….

Now everyone has times when they are first starting out where they are faced with the possibility of working late or pulling crazy hours. Often when starting out you lack the experience to be able to judge your time wisely, or you are much slower because you haven’t developed a workflow that allows you to get through a reasonable amount of work fast enough. This happens to all of us at first…this is part of starting out. But I think once some reach the level of supervisor or manager, they think back when they were first in the industry and associate working long hours as a byproduct of “not having enough experience” to get the job done without working the long hours. And therefore, feel that now they have gone to the “next level” that those under them crunching away are still in a state of “paying their dues”.

Unfortunately, having this attitude completely destroys credibility and undermines the leadership these people seek. It is the supervisors and managers job to protect the people under them to make sure that crunches are light, and try to avoid them. And if a crunch is a forgone conclusion because of extenuating circumstances, the supervisors and managers should be in the trenches with the soldiers trying to lessen the load and getting the pain over faster. That is true leadership, not someone who goes home at 5pm and is merely a figurehead.

Since becoming a supervisor, I’ve had to stare these types of issues in the face. Sometimes daily, these choices must be made about what type of supervisor I will be. Luckily, I have been fortunate to have had some good examples and learned from guys who weren’t scared to dig in deep and get dirty with the troops. (Keith Osborn, Keith Lango, Ken Duncan).

Either these guys would take on shots themselves to help lessen the load, or they would just be willing to stay late with us to help us out. And just as these guys were good examples, I’ve seen some guys who were the polar opposite. I’ve learned much from observing both kinds of supervisors/managers.

I write this post so that I will continually remind myself to try to be immune to the PMDs. It is a debilitating disease that can kill a team and destroy morale. For those of you who know me, if I EVER make the statement that I’ve “Paid My Dues”, or I show actions of such…I give all of you permission to immediately slap me in the face!

:)

2007-03-26T00:55:00.000-05:00

TMNT Sees Green on Crowded Weekend

"On one of the most crowded weekends in recent memory, six wide releases entered the fray and only one, TMNT, emerged a hit...."

Check the article: BoxOfficeMojo

2007-03-15T23:09:00.000-05:00

TMNT Featurette

The marketing for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is in full force now, and so far people seem to be getting pretty excited. I have a feeling it will do well.

So far they've just been releasing teasers here and there. But today they released a featurette, which reveals much more of the film. Reel FX had a chance to animate on a portion of the film and it appears a few of our shots made into this new featurette. Pretty cool!

Take a gander...

TMNT Featurette (35mb)

...then go see the movie March 23rd! :)