A BUNCH OF SHORT GUYS and
COLLIN’S APPLIED GRAPHIC DESIGN TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Host INDUSTRY GIANTS 2008: Drawing on Ideas!
Computer Graphics, Animation and Game Forum

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – Mike Anderson, supervising director for The Simpsons, joins professionals from Sony Pictures Imageworks, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues and Radar Cartoons for the Industry Giants 2008: Drawing on Ideas! Visual Effects, Animation and Game Forum. The event takes place Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, 2008 on the Spring Creek Campus of Collin County Community College, 2800 Spring Creek Parkway in Plano, Texas. It’s open to the public, students and industry professionals.

Hosted annually by Collin’s Applied Graphic Design Technology department and the computer graphics, animation, game development non-profit, A Bunch of Short Guys, Industry Giants 2008 features MasterClasses and a one-day forum and panel discussion. The event features a distinctive lineup of speakers working in all areas of animation and visual effects for film, television and games. Schedules for the MasterClasses, forum and ticket information are available online at www.industrygiants.org.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. Advance combination tickets for both the MasterClasses AND the full day forum are $35 for students and $75 for the public and professionals. Advance tickets to the one-day forum only are $15 for students and $20 for the public and professionals. Combination tickets purchased at the door are $45 for students and $85 for the public and professionals. Forum tickets purchased at the door are $20 for students and $25 for the public and professionals. Questions? Please call 972-516-5089 or by email AGDT_TA@ccccd.edu.
Master classes will be held on campus in rooms C-103 and C-104 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 6, 2008. With the purchase of a combination ticket, those attending the master classes will be able to choose their own schedule. Six different MasterClasses will be offered throughout the day. The morning sessions include a 2.5 hour session on “Pitching and Producing Your Animation Concept,” presented by Rita Street, president of Radar Cartoons. Digital Tutors will offer three 50-minute sessions on technical applications including Zbrush, Softimage XSI and MentalRay. The afternoon sessions take place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include a session on “The Art and Science of Animating Expressive Eyes,” presented by David Schaub, animation director with Sony Pictures Imageworks and “Beowulf - State-of-the-Art Lighting, Rendering, Compositing,” presented by Alan Chan, senior technical director with Sony Pictures Imageworks.

The Industry Giants Forum takes place in the John Anthony Theater from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, 2008. The lineup includes presentations by Johnny Gibson, digital effects supervisor with Digital Domain who will discuss “Speed Racer - VFX Pipeline Development”. David Schaub, animation director with Sony Pictures Imageworks joins the lineup to discuss “I Am Legend – Creature Animation”, Farhez Rayani, senior lighting technical director at Rhythm & Hues, will lead a presentation on “The Golden Compass – Look Development and Lighting” and Mike Anderson, supervising director with 20th Century Fox will discuss creation and production of the Emmy Award-winning television series The Simpsons: Creating a Television Legend. David Friedman with the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA), Janis Burklund with the DFW Film Commission and Katy Daiger with the Texas Film Commission will speak afterwards and show the latest version of the TXMPA promotional reel of animation, visual effects and game artists working in Texas. A full panel discussion, lead by Rita Street, president of Radar Cartoons will conclude the event.

The Applied Graphic Design Technology department at Collin College is a graphic design and new media discipline within the Fine Arts division. Academic degree and certificate programs include: graphic design, 3D animation, digital video, web-interactive media and game art and animation. The fulltime faculty is joined by over eighteen associate faculty who bring current industry expertise into the classroom. For information contact AGDT Professor, Tom Ottinger, tottinger@ccccd.edu, 972-516-5089 or visit www.ccccd.edu.

A Bunch of Short Guys (ABOSG) is a non-profit organization that fosters education and career development for students and professionals in the animation, visual effects and game industries. The group hosts free monthly meetings on the third or fourth Saturday of the month. In addition, ABOSG presents Industry Insights, an ongoing series featuring industry artists, as well as various training workshops and the Industry Giants events. Meeting information, a members’ online forum, event information and more can be found at www.abunchofshortguys.org.
For additional information on Industry Giants 2008: Drawing on Ideas!, to schedule interviews, request photos or B-roll please contact Tom Ottinger, vice president of A Bunch of Short Guys and professor with Collin’s Applied Graphic Design department, 972-516-5089 or by email at tottinger@ccccd.edu.