A Thank You for Hillary

I drew this for a friend who I worked with at Walt Disney World. Miss you!

Unexpected: A Miley Summer?

Good thing the job at the bakery didn't work out! The day after I left the bakery, I walked into casting for The Last Song and they immediately took my name, headshot, and contact info and said "Be at Tybee Island at 5:00pm tonight".

Here are a few photos via the internet of the set on which I was an extra.


We did numerous atmospheric shots while there was still daylight- crowded overhead establishing shots and shots of people getting cotton candy and holding tickets. Carnival games, too.

Later, my friend April and I had to sit on a Ferris wheel for almost three hours. Stopping and starting and stopping and starting. Fast, slow, fast, STOP! It got cold around 1am, then in a few hours they brought us down and gave us Subway sandwiches. That was a very long and stomach tossing night. Though, how often do you get to be an extra in a movie with Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, and Kelly Preston?!


On a different day, April and I had a call time on Tybee Island at 5:30am. We were to be in the audience of "Tybee's 10th annual volleyball championship." I thought this was funny because championships 1-9 never happened.

Throughout the day people kept giving us dasani's. I probably drank between 20-30 bottles of water- not because I was extremely thirsty, but because every time there was a cut they gave it to you anyways.

So naturally, I had to use the restroom.. I left and came back and when I sat down I noticed there were different people sitting behind my spot. I was watching (trying to figure out why they got switched out) between takes and realized that they were the 2nd team (stand-ins) for Miley Cyrus and her crew of pretty people. Neat!

After more standing and clapping and cheering at the Red Shorts team's victory, Greg Kinnear, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Ordway and Bobby Coleman were walking in front of me to sit in the bleachers to sit directly behind me. After a few rehearsals, adjustments were made and the camera director started playing "musical extras" and we got rotated around so the colors on screen wouldn't be competing with the heroes spotlight. I eventually got scooted to a place where I could be standing and watching the game, so I didn't get my close up. Not this time anyways!


That wasn't the last scene I was an extra for. Yesterday, they shot a "Southern Plantation Wedding" as the casting people called it when we were finding out what clothes to bring. We were told to wear southern dresses and pearls and bring big hats. Our call time was 5am.

The bus took us to Wormsloe Plantation in Savannah where we would sit for hair and makeup. They put all of the extras' hair up very fancy. When I got home that night at 8pm, I pulled out at least twenty bobby pins and one diamond studded pin. You would think I was sleepy, but nope! I went to Target and bought Coraline.

drawing at Tybee beach

Started as a gesture drawing, then I decided to color her. I'm pretty happy with it.

scad-lanta-mation Weekend Recap

Hello everyone! I just got back from Atlanta yesterday. (SCAD Atlanta to be more precise.. and SCADlanta to be more fun) The Society for Animation Studies 09 conference was pretty cool- there were a lot of interesting panels and I got a good few pages of notes. I also managed to doodle Friday's keynote speaker and author of Visual Digital Culture- Andrew Darley.

On top of getting to go to this conference, we decided to do spend some time doing Atlana related things. Friday night we went to a drive in theater to see Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian. I enjoyed the way Ice Age 3 was animated- especially during one of the first scenes when Sid has just begun caring for the three eggs and when one gets loose, there's a long scene where he is chasing, rolling, running after, and doing everything else in his power to catch and hold on to these three eggs. Stylistically, I also thought the visual effects and lighting in the transitions during Buck's storytelling stints were beautiful. I was largely disappointed with the story. As for Night at the Museum... Woah! They did it again! Usually, I worry with sequels, but in my opinion, the second installment competes with the first. The story, visual effects, acting, comedy- all satasfactory in my opinion.

As soon as my buddy Nick sends me what photos he took, I'll make another post and fill you in on the rest of the weekend. But to give you something to look forward to, here's a hint: Jim Henson Muppets and Beluga Whales.

The Persistence of Animation: Atlanta Conference

T-minus 2 hours till my friends and I load up the car to go to Atlanta!

The Society for Animation Studies is holding this year's annual conference at SCAD Atlanta's campus this weekend. The Atlanta chapter of the Association International du Film d’Animation (International Animated Film Association), ASIFA will also be in attendance as well as the SCAD Savannah and Atlanta Animation departments and our (Savannah's) Cinema Studies department.

Our very own History of Animation professor, Charles daCosta will be speaking at the conference. Big thanks to him for being one of the coordinators of the weekend long event!

I'll have photos and sketchbook pages posted once I'm back in Savannah!

Courtney Brooke

Summer in Savannah

Spending the summer in Savannah for the first time has been great. I had a short stint at a bakery- in which I discovered that I love baking (or being around people who are) cinnamon rolls and cookies and 7 different types of breads and other things that smell nice, but also that I am 100% not cut out for food service and/or making sandwiches really fast.

I have started being mentored by an artist named William Armstrong who has his painting studio practically across the square from me. He has a history of working as art director in many films and designed sets for Meet Joe Black and The Legend of Bagger Vance. He says that not working at that bakery anymore should make me even more determined to get into a job where I can use my art. I agree.

I am taking one class at SCAD this summer- Animation II with Professor Brian Schindler. I definitely enjoy that class. I have already gained a good bit of experience with Maya, but it's the first time I've really been introduced to the time slider and key frames [for acting] apart from making camera movements. Professor Schindler has a lot of great stories of being in the film business, too- He's good at keeping us motivated.

I've been continually making art and I just got a new job at an antique store helping them fix up their website with some schmancy photographs. No time now, but I can't wait to show you what I've been working on!

CBV