Conference on Careers in Animation Will Enliven Minds
At Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus, November 22

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Budding animators of all ages, take note! The Second Annual Careers in Animation Conference will take place at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus, with presentations on the history of animation, types of animation, and preparing for a career in the animation industry.

Sponsored by the Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center (BYFC) and the Campus's Media Arts Department, the conference will take place on Saturday, November 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is limited to 70 participants, and the cost is $15 for adults and $5 for youth under 18.

According to BYFC director Trayce Gardner, the market for animation is rapidly expanding from the Saturday morning kiddie hours to prime time television shows like the popular "The Simpsons" and "South Park." It's now common for animated films like "Finding Nemo" to be among the year's top grossing films; animated commercials have become a staple; and 3D animation is regularly used by businesses for operational and marketing purposes.

"Yet it is rare to find a public high school or media center that has introduced animation into their curriculum," says Gardner. "Working class youth and adults do not see being an animator as a career option because they don't have access to training and mentoring. We are addressing this need."

A panel of professionals, headed by Don Duga of Pole Star Animation and the School of Visual Arts, will cover subjects relevant to a career in the animation industry, including: education, portfolios, the job market, independent versus large studio projects, professional associations, animation websites and books. Stephan Carriglio of Kinetic Media will demonstrate how to layer 3D animation to create 'virtual' building blueprints.

Four workshops will give participants a chance to produce their own animated projects. They are: Traditional Hand-Drawn Animation with Don Duga; Claymation, facilitated by Marc Sacadote, founder of Manhattan's Wagner Middle School's Animation Association; Flash Animation, taught by LIU Professor Ricardo Gutierrez de Zubiaurre; and Scriptwriting/Storyboarding with Trayce Gardner.

The conference will end with a presentation by 17-year-old animator, Jacob Ospa, a twelfth grader at LaGuardia High School who is enrolled in the Animation Department of the School of Visual Arts. He will screen his first short, "Shrinks Drive Me Crazy."

Advance sign-up for workshops is suggested. For more information, call Trayce Gardner at (718) 852-9342 or LIU's Rodney Hurley at (718) 488-1052.