Channel Frederator Blog

Recent animation graduate Bianca Beneduci’s film “Popped” features some slick traditional animation and cool, retro inspired backgrounds. Here she tells us about the artists she’s bonkers about, and the inspiration for her film.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Bianca Beneduci: I took the classical animation program at Vancouver Film School - graduated at the end of last month.

CF: Is there a particular teacher who really helped you with your work?

BB: Well, all of them helped a lot, they’re all really great. But I guess I have to point out one of them, Moose Pagan. He played a really big part during the whole process. Excellent mentor, I feel like I’m a very lucky student.

CF: What has influenced your style the most?

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Andrew Sanchez rocks his computer animation skills in his graduation thesis “Egg Scramble”. Here’s more about the guy and his plans for the future.

Channel Frederator: Where are you studying animation?

Andrew Sanchez: I’m currently a senior computer animation student at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL. I graduate on May 8th, very exciting!

CF: Is there a particular teacher who really helped you with your work?

AS: Well, the entire faculty here at Ringling is really helpful, full of good insight and great feedback, but I’d really like to give a special thanks to my faculty advisor, Keith Osborn, who is an amazing teacher and animator, and my preproduction instructor Billy Merritt for really helping me bring this short to life.

CF: What has influenced your style the most?

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In 1952, the Tex Avery directed a short Rock-A-Bye Bear premiered. The short, written by Heck Allen and Rich Hogan featured a simple premise: Spike has a job running a house for a hibernating bear, who insists on quiet. Tex was strained by the amount of work, so he left MGM shortly after completing the piece (the film was actually completed in 1950, but not released until two years later due to the backlog of cartoon shorts).  In Tex’s absence, his unit was directed by former Walter Lantz director, Dick Lundy.

Tex returned to MGM in 1951,  where he took back his animation unit. He went on to direct eleven more cartoons. Most of these had a similar look to the UPA cartoons that were gaining popularity at the time. In March 1953, MGM closed down Tex’s unit, believing that 3D films that were quickly taking theaters by storm would end the [Read more…]