Extra Large Short At Telus World of Science

Earlier this week I was invited to a screening of one of Science World's newest Imax experiences entitled, "Extra Large Shorts." This is a compilation of short films, mostly animated, that were create specifically for the Imax screen. What a great idea! This got me thinking that for a medium as visually deep as animation, why haven't filmmakers taken advantage of the visual possibilities of marrying Imax and Animation more often? Our medium is rich, and full of potential when it comes to creating great experiences for audiences. Multiplying the size of screen would only multiply that experience. Outside of cost, which never seems to stop the true and stubborn animation filmmaker, I can't see why this idea hasn't come to fruition. If only Fantasia was shot for Imax. Animation and Imax could make going to the movies an EXPERIENCE again.

The highlight for me, from this show were three shorts:

Where the Trains Used to Go

This film was not animated, but created using timelapse photography. If any of the films in this complilation makes you feel in the moment, this is it.

It takes you on a four minute journey down the tracks of an old railway. Some of the tracks have fallen into disuse over the last century, but this didn't stop the filmakers from traveling through the tough terrains where the train once lay. This is what makes the film so magical. You can find out more about the film here.

More
More is Mark Osborne's stop motion short film. Mark is the director of Kung Fu Panda, and I can only assume this film had a big part in helping him land his first feature film directing gig . More received an Academy Award nomination, but lost out to Pixar's Geri's Game.

I was pretty excited for this one, after seeing Kung Fu Panda earlier this summer. I'd also never seen a stop motion film in Imax. This film takes full advantage of the format, and really put me in the moment.

More deals with consumerism, monotony, the fire inside us all, and selling out. These are very serious subjects for your average animated short. You can view More on Mark's website Get Happy.com. This pales in comparison to viewing it in full fisheye glory, so I would recommend seeing this how it was meant to be viewed.

The Old Man And The Sea
This is one of my favorite animated shorts. I've seen it several times, but I had no idea it was shot for Imax; so I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see it in Imax. And you shouldn't either.

This 22 minute epic short created by Alexandr and Dimitri Petrov was actually the first animated film created for Imax, and won the Academy Award in 1999. I remember when I first saw this in Animation History class. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was watching paint strokes come to life. There's such a sense of space and light achieved in this film that just can't be achieved with hand drawn cell animation. I have so much admiration and respect for the patience and dedication of these filmmakers. The experience of seeing this film in it's full glory is worth the price of admission alone.

If you are in the Vancouver area, I would recommend you check out Science World's website for more information on showtimes.

I also saw The Dark Knight last week, very cool. Much better than the first installment to the new Batman series. Heath Ledger completely stole the show; What an incredible performance. Heath was right in saying that any press picture, including the one below, doesn't do the character justice. You really have to see him breathing life in his version of the character, which is by far the coolest adaptation to date. I heard Johhny Depp, and a few other actors offerred to fill in for the character's reaccuring role now that Ledger is gone. I doubt anyone can bring back the same character Ledger created, it will undoubtedly be a new spin. I do hope however, that if Depp gets the part he doesn't bring a Sleepy Hollow, or Sweeney Todd-esque Joker to life.

Disney's Music for Kids

Science World is hosting an exhibit entitled, "Disney: Music Behind the Magic" right now here in Vancouver. If you're an animation fan, then give this one a miss. It's not worth the admission price. It is totally tailored to kids, and I was pretty disappointed.

The only thing of interest was a few story sketches from Pinnochio and an early Mickey Mouse short, and the original sheet music from Aladdin. This is by far the smallest exhibit I've seen at Science World. Body Works is still the best one I've seen there.

The accompanying 23-minute documentary was the best part, but can be found on one of the Disney Treasures DVDs, though I can't remember which one. Nonetheless, it's about Disney music, obviously...Point being, you can see the best part elsewhere.

KRAZY

Last night I went downtown to the Art Gallery to see the new exhibit, "KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime, Comics, Video Games, and Art."

I'm not into Anime, or most comics. And frankly I think playing video games is just a big waste of time. I went because they had one room for, "Animated Cartoons." I'd heard they have original animation drawings from Dumbo. That alone was worth the price of admission. As I expected, I was only interested in the one room. I quickly walked through the entire exhibit, but came right back to the animation room. Some of the graphic novel stuff was pretty cool though.

What can I say? If you live in the Vancouver area, and are into animation, don't miss this opportunity. I won't ruin it for you, but here's some of what you'll see if you go.

• Original animation drawings from Gertie the Dinosaur
• Original puppets from Lotte Reiniger's, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed"
• Original storyboard drawings, concept paintings, and animation drawings from Dumbo
• Original conceptual work and character studies from Toy Story
• Nick Park's story sheets and gag idea sheets from The Wrong Trousers
• Original artwork and cells from UPA's Gerald McBoing Boing

A lot of the Dumbo stuff was listed as "unattributed" but I swear it looked like the hand of Bill Peet. I was a little unsure if Peet was involved in Dumbo, but this Michael Sporn post confirmed it. Anyway, I didn't bring my camera along to take pictures as I thought it wouldn't be aloud in the Gallery. Sure enough there were tourists there snapping away. If I find the time, I'll go back and get pictures and post them up for all to see.

A Different Kind of Dreaming

I took a break from animation to check out the Vancouver International Auto Show this weekend. If this animation thing ever works out for me in a big way, I'll probably look like this without the show room background:

My dream car: Jaguar XKR

Missed Cook by a Couple

Last Saturday I went out to a local comedy club. I'd been there twice before and left with sore sides from such hard laughter. The night's headliner was Peter Kelamis (who was hilarious), more on him later. We'd booked tickets for the late show, which is usually a bit better than the early show as the comedians have had a chance to perform (warm up) and are ready to let loose a bit more. We ended up switching our tickets for the early show because the late show was sold out and we couldn't fit a third person (a buddy of mine) into the party. We got in the early show no problem.

Turns out my favorite comedian, and arguably the most popular comedian on the planet at the moment, Dane Cook, was in town shooting a movie with the hottest of hotties, Jessica Alba. He ended up performing at the club a mere 1-2 hours after we had left. Damnit! I would have been ecstatic if I could have seen him live. I'd already scoured his tour only to realize it included no dates north of the border. What an opportunity we missed!

Ah well, read the article in my local paper, where I found out about the shocking news. There's an interesting bit of controversy in it for all you dramatistes...

Luongo

My local team just aquired arguably one of the top three goalies in the world.

I am so pyched! I can't wait for the new season, I've been waiting for a good goalie since the days of Kirk Mclean. No offense to Mclean, but Vancouver has never seen a goalie this good before. Too bad we had to give up Auldie in the process, but I see a brighter future. The Northwest is ours again. :)