TAC 2009 Retrospective

My 3rd trip to the TAC in Ottawa concluded the 18th of October this year. This was the first year I have attended the OIAF as well as the TAC, the Animation Festival is a great place to see new animation from independents as well as larger studios. I enjoyed the energy and vitality of the young animators and fans that attended. I wish I could somehow suck just some of the youth out of them, they wouldn't miss it, and they don't know how lucky they are. But in truth, I was young once, and I really enjoyed it, so I can't say I didn't have my turn. Besides, I'm not even 40 yet, and I feel pretty great considering what I've done (and had done) to my body over the last 30 years.
So back to speaking of the TAC, sorry for the digression. I was pitching two new show concepts this year, one is a preschool show that Brian L and I created, which I really hoped would hit the mark with PBS. Linda Simensky said she liked it, which is encouraging, but we won't know how it will go until we go farther with talking and explaining our concept. The other show I was pitching was a sketch comedy variety show. I really wish I could do a show like this, but I didn't pin a lot of hope to it, pitching animated variety show is like selling real estate on the Moon, anyone can sell it, but nobody's buying. The Shawks project is moving along, although very slowly, I'm glad to say I am happy with the team thats involved. I hung out with Mike from Disney and Brian Larson from RIT couple of nights, Mike's one of only a few that have the constitution to go out drinking with me these days, it take a pro, and he's a pro, it was just good fun. So here's to another year of working on shows and throwing things at the wall to se what sticks.

Microsoft introduces a Phone too!

Not to be outdone, the geniuses at Microsoft have decided that a Phone with a touch screen that can run a bunch of useful applications would be a great idea. Although the new phone has a touch screen, and useful icons as well as a soft keypad like that of the iPhone, they deny that there is any similarity between their phone and the iPhone.
Microsoft Phones have a lot of features that the iPhone will not. For instance, the new Microsoft phone, currently code named "the Catch-Up", has only three buttons, "control", "alt", and "delete", for when the phone freezes up on a crash. It also has a power button, which users will be able to use when the control+alt+delete doesn't unfreeze the crash. In addition, the Phone will have a separate processor to handle phone calls, so that you can still send and receive phone calls while hung up on a crash, or waiting for a restart on a crash. Personally, I think its great, I just hope they have a really great icon for when you crash.

Microsoft, you are so funny. You're like the really rich but unpopular girl at the party that buys coke for all her friends, and then gets ditched in the bathroom at the biker bar. Good Luck with your next failure.