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.