A milestone has been reached.  I finished the first shot of the music video I’ve been slooooowly working on for the Max Levine Ensemble.  This shot is just a pan over a layered background, so not much animation per say.  But it took a while to figure out the “aesthetic” I would use for the backgrounds.  Think it turned out eh.  Except for the tree.  I like that tree.  Next time I do a video- all trees on white backgrounds.

As corny as it sounds, being able to share my cartoons with the world on Youtube brought me a lot of opportunities. If SOPA and PIPA are passed, it’s very possible that I, and many other filmmakers, will not have access to sites like Youtube, nor the benefit of building an audience by being linked through social networking sites, or sites like Cartoon Brew and Boing Boing. Please contact your Congressperson and tell them to vote NO on SOPA and PIPA.

Here’s a video that explains everything better than I can.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Genericon reminded me that anime conventions are awesome. It was like being at a giant sleepover. Everyone was hanging out, watching movies, playing games, discussing the finer points of the Final Fantasy legacy.

The Great Final Fantasy Debate- hosted by Anime World Order

And just like most sleepovers, nearly everyone came dressed up as cartoon characters.

A pair of Gurren Lagann cosplayers who were also fans! So cool.

Matt and I were featured guests at the con. We hosted a couple panels, one of which being a “how-to” on animation. I guess Matt and I harbor a lot of deep seated rage towards animation because it spiraled into “the worst motivational speech ever”. We had to make sure people knew what they were getting into! Don’t worry, there was a happy ending.

Matt with a 100 Sided Die!

Regardless of any dismal tirades, we had a great time. Got to meet some fans and hang out with some awesome peoples: Daryl, Clarissa and Gerald from Anime World Order, Alain and Kate from Reverse Thieves, Erin and Noah- the Ninja Consultants, Ed Chavez from Vertical and Walter Amos to name a few.

Big thanks to Evan Minto for hooking us up with this awesome event. He may in fact be one of the nicest guys ever. To Dominic Difranzo for being an organizational mastermind who made sure Matt and I were well accommodated whilst away from home. To all of the staff, especially everyone who gave us rides because we were babies and couldn’t hike through the snow. To Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for hosting the entire event. And of course, thanks to everyone who came out to our panels or stopped by our table. You’re all the best.