Frank & Ollie Tribute at Siggraph Next Week! Don't Miss It!

I know most of you already know about this, but just in case you haven't heard, Animation Mentor is going to be hosting a tribute to two of the most influential animators of all time, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Any animator would recognize their names - if not from the giant pile of Disney movies they helped give to the world, then from one of their amazing books - the most famous of which is the world-renowned "Illusion Of Life," commonly referred to as the "animator's bible."

Frank & Ollie, particularly with The Illusion Of Life, were a huge influence on most of us, and along with the rest of the "Nine Old Men," they truly pioneered all the stuff we've been talking about here on the Tips 'N Tricks blog. I might be able to talk about some of these animation concepts a little bit, but these are two of the guys who figured this stuff out in the first place.

If not for them, this blog probably wouldn't exist. In fact, along with their peers, they brought Walt's visions to life in all of those early Disney films, and created a love for animation around the entire globe. So, if not for them and their contemporaries, it's entirely possible that this entire industry might not exist, let alone the art of animation in general. They not only kept it alive through the early years of animation, they pioneered countless innovations that grew it from it's primitive beginnings into the amazing art that we know today.

I couldn't be more proud that we have the opportunity to honor these incredible artists' lives, and am blown away by the panel of animators who will be talking about what it was like to work with Frank & Ollie. We're going to be looking at some animation examples and talking about Frank & Ollie's contributions to this art we so love, have some audience Q&A, and we'll also be showing some exclusive never-before-scene footage of the pair talking about animation.

Some people have been asking if we'll be posting this stuff online, and unfortunately it looks like that probably isn't going to be able to happen, so if you're at all interested in this and will be anywhere near LA next week, be sure to stop by! I believe you'll need a Siggraph pass to get in, but even if this one gathering is the only Siggraph event you can attend, it's sure to be worth it.

DATE: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
TIME: 10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (Doors close at 10:15 a.m.)
LOCATION: Petree Hall D, Los Angeles Convention Center

Check out Bobby's blog for more info, and hopefully I'll see you guys there. I really think this is going to be special.

Shawn :)