Night at the Planet 9 film fest!

Before we begin this Watchcat Wednesday, last week we had a lot of ad clicks which generated about $4 to our Animal shelter fund. Keep it up and maybe we can get a check to our local Animal shelter before the year is up. Thanks again and keep clicking those ads they really add up.

We attended the Planet 9 film festival on Saturday, Oct 21st, which was held at the California Institute of Abnormalarts or CIA of Burbank, a very  unusual and interesting place to visit. Watchcat 02 was in the screening and our only regret was that we had to pay the $10 entrance fee, even though our film was showing in the festival. 

There were two areas where the films were being shown; one was an area outside before you enter the theater and the other was inside the main theater.

About 78 people or more wandered in and out throughout the night, half the attendees were in costume and the rest were in boring everyday wear. 

We soon discovered that our was showing on the outside area. Most of the films were in the horror genera and when our film came up, it was a bit of a change of pace. We heard a few laughs and so we knew someone was getting it.

There were a lot of really good films  that we saw that night. They said they would be judging the films after 3 were shown, but this all happened in the main theater.










We wandered into the main theater to see that the judges consisted of Darvel Moleman, a muppet like woman known as Dirty Patti and Radioactive Ratt. 

When we first entered this place, we were both deciding if we should go in or not. But after walking through the strange exhibits, seeing the costumed customers, watching some fun films and getting to view our film with a mostly live audience; the price of admission was worth it.

This experience also got us into the Halloween spirit which we need, since this Sunday, we will be filming a Vampire scene for Noir. I will be making an Actor into an ancient Vampire using foam makeup, a bald cap and a lot of other nasty things. I'm a little nervous having never done a bald cap before, but please don't tell the actor that.

Next Watchcat Wednesday, see the results of the makeup to help put you into the Halloween mood.

Comment! Let us know if you liked this post, this blog or what you're Halloween costume might be this year?

Help an Animal Shelter, click on the ads!

A few more clicks yielded .96 cents this week and this month so far, we have $4.07. Our grand total is at $53.93, and we encourage you to click on the ads to show your support. We are hoping to pass the $60 mark or more this month with your help. 

Google won't write us a check until they get $100 or more in clicks. So 15 viewers might read this and only one person will click on an ad. However, if every viewer clicked, I wouldn't have to write this stuff on every post.

When we do get a check from Google, we want to donate the money to a local animal shelter. Every little click will help an Animal in need.

Thank You and keep clicking!

 

Watchcat at the Planet 9 Film Fest!

Our earnings are up to $53.00 from ads clicks (8 people clicked = $3.00) for our donation to a local animal shelter. Every ad click helps us get closer to $100, the amount Adsense needs to write us a check. Just keep clicking!  

Since Halloween is just around the corner, this week, I will be doing a vampire makeup for an upcoming feature film called "Noir"

Since we put out Watchcat, the special edition about 13 days ago, it is to 46 views. We are hoping for more and plan to enter future film festivals with this cut of the film.

This weekend, Watchcat 02 is a finalist and will be shown this Saturday, Oct 21 at the Planet 9 Film Fest in Burbank, CA. Greg and I plan to attend this unique film festival.

 

Whatever happens at this festival, we will post something about it next week and even though this is the Watchcat files, let it be known that we do like dogs too. Here's a new stop motion film coming out by Wes Anderson that we really want to see, enjoy...

Please support us by Subscribing to our Watchcat Films Youtube Channel! and become our 110th or more subscriber!

Help an Animal Shelter Click on the ads!

A few more clicks yielded .86 cents this week and this month so far, we have $1.67. Our grand total is still at $48.06, and we encourage you to click on the ads to show your support. We are hoping to pass the $50 mark or more this month with your help. 

Google won't write us a check until they get $100 or more in clicks. So 15 viewers might read this and only one person will click on an ad. However, if every viewer clicked, I wouldn't have to write this stuff on every post.

When we do get a check from Google, we want to donate the money to a local animal shelter. Every little click will help an Animal in need.

Thank You and keep clicking!

 

A winning Watchcat Wednesday

We are up to 43 views for Watchcat, the special edition and need a lot more. Also this blog is on its way to 18,000 views!

Welcome back to Watchcat Wednesday. A lot of things are happening this week, including the winners of the 24hours animation contest and Student Academy Awards. I won 1st in Animation a century ago, when Film critic and Animation Historian, Leonard Maltin handed me my award for my film "Cat & Rat". 

Ever since then, I have been encouraging my students to enter their films into this and other animation film festivals.

This weekend was the 24 Hours Animation contest were students form into a team of 5, are given a theme and then have 24 hours to make a :30 second animated film.

The team can choose any animation style from traditional, to computer and even stop motion. The contest has grows larger every year and this year, 44 schools schools participating with 183 Teams completing or 915 students all working to complete a :30 second animated film based on the theme in 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

The winners are judged and the top 5 films are given prizes from various studio sponsors. This one came in 27th out of 183 from CSULB, which we at the Watchcat files really liked a lot.

If you would like to watch the 2017 top 5 winners, click here.

And if you enjoyed this blog, please let us know...

We now have 17,664 all time views! 

Please become a Follower of our Watchcat files blog.

or

Please support us by Subscribing to our Watchcat Films Youtube Channel! and become our 110th or more subscriber!

Help an Animal Shelter Click on the ads!

A few more clicks yielded .86 cents this week and this month so far, we have $1.67. Our grand total is still at $48.06, and we encourage you to click on the ads to show your support. We are hoping to pass the $50 mark or more this month with your help. 

Google won't write us a check until they get $100 or more in clicks. So 15 viewers might read this and only one person will click on an ad. However, if every viewer clicked, I wouldn't have to write this stuff on every post.

When we do get a check from Google, we want to donate the money to a local animal shelter. Every little click will help an Animal in need.

Thank You and keep clicking!

 

 

Watchcat, the Special Edition

Making films is always a learning experience and from the beginning we've thought of making a series of shorts which we could edit together to tell a longer story. We've screened Watchcat01 and 02 to several audiences and discovered that we got a few laughs in Watchcat 01, but less in Watchcat 02. And we've discovered that part 1 and part 2 needed to be shown together as they were intended.

Part 1 sets up the character, his world, his personality, while Part 2 begins with the criminals describing a monster and we discover its only a cat instead. I feel like we should have figured this out a few years ago, but it was the audience reaction that made us finally realize what we had to do. 

And so, here is Watchcat, the special edition.

Please leave a comment below or email me heyjimr@gmail.com if you like this version better than Watchcat separate episodes and to let us know if we finally got it right, 

Thank you!...

 

Watchcat at the World Animation Celebration

Last weekend, I was in Dallas,TX at a Portfolio Day event while Greg visited the World Animation Celebration festival in Culver City which our film Watchcat was in. I really would have preferred to go to this festival too, but Greg went to represent our film and hand out Watchcat postcards to as many people as he met along the way.

The festival was held at Sony Pictures Animation studio and was a great venue for portfolio viewing, meeting professionals in the animation industry and seeing a lot of animated films.

At a panel about Classic Disney animators, Greg ran into this classic, Nik Ranieri, Disney Animator of characters including Lumiere, Jafar, Meeko, Hades and Mother Gothel, just to name a few.

First of all, Greg doesn't know who people are in the animation world and he reported that at first, he felt like the festival was a very small event, unlike the CTN Expo. Greg said, " It felt like a small gathering of folks, but you felt very welcomed to all the events and I had a better  time than I thought I would."

Greg even got to meet Glen Keene, who I met years ago at Siggraph. There's Mike Cedeno, another famous Disney animator photobombing behind.

So while I was sitting in the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX, in this giant room waiting for arriving art students to show us their portfolios...

Greg was sitting in a crowded theater, listening to Glen Keane talk about his latest animation film entitled "Dear Basketball". Animated by Keane about Kobe Bryant's tribute to his sport.

Written by Kobe Bryant, animated by Glen Keane and a music score by John Williams.

Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all — From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran. I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have. 

And we both know, no matter what I do next I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always, Kobe

In this 5 minute and 22 second film, Kobe Bryant narrates this emotional tribute about his life, career and love for Basketball. With amazing animation by Glen Keane and a music score by

John Williams, I am putting my money on this film animation short for this year's Oscars.

Thank you Mr. Keane!

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Well now, if you enjoyed anything from the above post, please leave a comment below. Or better yet, help us raise some money for an Animal Shelter. Google pays if viewers click on the ads and we intend to donate that money to an Animal Shelter in need. 

But, we are only at $ 50.58, and Google won't send us a check until after we reach $100 or more. So every little click helps and it won't cost you anything, only a click on your mouse. Thank you!

Please Click today!