SCAD AnimationFest 2024 contained so many great conversations, stories and stunning visuals, making this another fantastic, insightful festival.
SCAD AnimationFest 2024 began with a zing and ended with a zang! Major kudos to all the amazing guests, students, event coordinators, staff, PR, and everyone else in between at SCAD for putting on a superb, safe festival amidst the weather conditions of Hurricane Helene. The event held strong, capturing the fun, business, and fascinating aspects of all things animation. There were plenty of cool panels, talks, and conversations about industry trends and how students can thrive in the field.
I had the cool opportunity to watch some panels from the leading animation teams at Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Netflix Animation and so much more. It was also a really wholesome experience to watch the two SCAD student films for SCAD AnimationFest 2024: Chelita, Como me Duele Quererte and Time Flies. The keynote and award ceremony for the legendary animator, director and writer Genndy Tartakovsky was surreal because he made a lot of the great animated series I watched a lot as a kid. The nostalgia was real!
Here is a look at the 7 exciting things I saw at SCAD AnimationFest 2024:
1. Finding Out More About DC’s Creature Commandos
SCAD AnimationFest 2024 kicked off with an amazing behind-the-scenes look into DC’s upcoming animated show Creature Commandos. Warner Bros. Animation was able to provide two knowledgeable guests to talk about the series, which delves more into the character designs: producer/director Rick Morales and executive vice president of alternative programming Peter Girardi. They showed and explained many concepts behind the show, including how they eventually modelled the characters with the voice actor’s likeness. Creature Commandos is expected to be out on Max for December 5, 2024.
2. Uncovering the Details of Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai
This was likely the standout highlight of SCAD AnimationFest 2024. Blue Eye Samurai production designer Toby Wilson discussed in detail the creative inspirations behind Netflix’s Annie Award and Emmy Award-winning original series. Wilson walked the audience through the show’s development process, explaining it through visual development images. He also showcased some of the pre-visualization processes. As someone who loves in-depth research, I appreciated how thoroughly Wilson presented it all.
Set in Edo-period Japan, Blue Eye Samurai follows Mizu, a self-trained samurai on a mission of revenge. This was my favourite original animated series of 2023 and should be on everyone’s watchlist! To check out some of the bunraku puppets that inspired their use in Episode 5, “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride,” you can visit the Center for Puppetry Arts (CPA) in Atlanta, Georgia.
3. The Student Films: Chelita, Como me Duele Quererte & Time Flies
It wouldn’t be SCAD AnimationFest without spotlighting some standout student films. I had the chance to watch a screening of Chelita, Cómo me Duele Quererte, a film by SCAD Animation Studios, and it was wonderful. The story follows a clumsy young baker trying to reconnect with his first love after discovering she has become an adelita, or female soldier, in the Mexican Revolution. The filmmakers put in an impressive amount of research, which required great dedication, and they even used exciting dance footage as a reference.
After the screening, some of the crew came out to discuss the research and process behind the touching film. The panelists included Angela Mauvezin-Quiroga (B.F.A. Animation), production manager; Luis Gerardo Ponce Piñon (B.F.A. Animation, 2024), director and creator; Neko Pilarcik-Tellez (M.F.A. Animation), compositing lead; and Riley Quinn (B.F.A. Animation, 2024), co-director.
[Updated Thursday, October 3, 2024]
As for Time Flies, this was a hilarious, slightly raunchy, story about how two flies make the most of their life—which just happens to be one day long. The animation style was very vivid, with a wide array of colours. It felt like I was reading a children’s book but the pictures were moving! The film was primarily made up of four key members: LJ Burnett (B.F.A. sequential art), director; Morgan Eng (M.F.A. sequential art), supervising producer; Davis Hardy (B.F.A. visual effects), VFX co-supervisor; and Ashley Hayden (B.F.A. animation), co-director.
4. The Special Preview Screening of Common Side Effects
One of the coolest screenings from SCAD Animation Fest 2024 was the special viewing of the first episode of the upcoming Adult Swim series Common Side Effects. The show is created by Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (The Office). It is a half-hour comedy thriller that follows two former high school friends, sharing a deep secret when Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine—a mushroom that can heal almost anything. However, the DEA, big pharma and other players will stop at nothing to prevent them from ever showing it to the world.
My initial thoughts were that the animation on the backgrounds and environments were amazing. The subtle character designs added to the comedic side because the characters looked so goofy. Although, this meant that the characters stood out more against the beautiful landscapes in the background.
5. A Deeper Look Into Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio From SCAD Alumni
SCAD alumni who worked on the Academy Award-winning stop-motion film Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio had plenty to share about its making. While the Pinocchio puppet wasn’t present, they did bring out a “Background Fascist Boy” puppet! The roster included Andrés Eduardo (M.F.A., animation, 2019), animator at ShadowMachine; Jackie Nash (B.A., animation, 2017), model maker; and Naomi Wiener (B.F.A., animation, 2017), model maker. They discussed numerous processes and concepts involved in finding the right look and the system to make the models move fluidly. Pinocchio and some of the main cast puppets are currently on display at the Center for Puppetry Arts (CPA) as well.
6. Going Back To The Past With Animation Genius Genndy Tartakovsky
SCAD AnimationFest 2024 took me on a blast from the past! While many may not recognize the name Genndy Tartakovsky, they will certainly know his work. The panel kicked off with Tartakovsky being presented with the SCAD Award of Excellence. He has redefined the limits of storytelling, especially on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, where he developed countless hit animated series such as Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and Primal. The five-time Emmy Award winner also worked on the Golden Globe-nominated Hotel Transylvania series, including its two sequels and spinoff shorts.
This was ultimately a fun, thought-provoking presentation where Tartakovsky provided a raw, inside look at his life, passion, and career. The panel lasted nearly two hours, but I was laughing and surprised by his personal anecdotes, alongside images and clips from his early work. It was also exciting to get a glimpse of what the legend himself will be up to next.
7. The SCAD Student Animation Showcase
[Updated Thursday, October 3, 2024]
Probably one of the coolest things to check out at SCAD AnimationFest is the student films produced by the students. This is a great way for the students to build a portfolio, submit their first films to festivals, and gain confidence and experience in their craft. Some of the ones that stood out to me for its ability to capture the children’s book/children’s graphic novel style were Harbor and Nainai’s Recipe. The latter felt inspired by the graphic novel “American Born Chinese.”
In terms of creative concepts, Le Charade, Teaser Trailer and Pretty Kitty went all-out. I particularly enjoyed Le Charade‘s ability to play around with aspect ratios, the black-and-white filter vs. colour moments, and the fact that it told a good story without any audible dialogue. Teaser Trailer harkened back to some concepts from The Truman Show while Pretty Kitty had a more visceral inspired take on Five Night at Freddy’s.
Here is a list of all of the amazing films contained in the SCAD student animation showcase for SCAD AnimationFest 2024:
- Have You Eaten? – really cool visuals, loved the emphasis on food kind of like a Ghibli film, very relatable and
- Creator/Director: Pavida (Patty) Changkaew (B.F.A., animation, 2023)
- Dahlia
- Director/Producer: Martha Sanchez M, Morelia
- Kitty
- Director: Isabella Holzberger
- Menheim Clinic
- Director: Jacob Pappo (BFA animation) & Diana Grant
- Persimmon Red
- Director: Alice Jiwon Yoon & Tam “Tammy” Le
- Skater Girl – cool, comic book style, hi-fi rush skateboarding elements, kinda like Rocket Power vibes too
- Director: Dakota Liam Drake
- Above the Clouds – beginning like The Wild Robot style a little
- Director: Alani Sanders
- Animus – style of characters and creatures kinda like RWBY meets Storm Hawks
- Director: Goh Kai Wen & Christina Tjahjadi
- Cliff & Fishes
- Director: Robin Sloan
- Harbor
- Director: Sam Jackson
- Le Charade – really cool, no audible dialogue storytelling, cool messing with aspect ratio closing in
- Director/Writer/Producer: Erika Totoro
- Nainai’s Recipe
- Director: Daya Lee
- Overcast
- Director: Amy Cheng
- Pretty Kitty – interestingly seemed like a Five Night at Freddy’s concept
- Director: Corey Campagna
- Teaser Trailer
- Director: JJ Gibson
To find out more details on this year’s SCAD AnimationFest, check out the official website.
