Friday, September 30, 2005

HILARIOUS




It's funn that a sentence that involves the words, FAT, ANIMATION and ANDREW DUNN in it, could not be about our very ownFatkat Producer Andrew Dunn...

...but here it is.

FATKAT WANKED ON FAT CAT ONLINE



Seems our name is pretty popular. Check out Brandon's site - Fat Cat Online, it seems sillyness is naturally associated with the name Fat Cat, no matter the spelling.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

BIRTHDAY SHINANNIGANS - BONUS TRACK



This just in from our yahoo buddies at DaCapo Productions
I love these guys.

BIRTHDAY SHINANNIGANS


So I'm 29 now. I don't feel it. I feel fat though, could you hold me a little?

Earlier this week I was working from home and you know what? The saying of "When the Kat is away the mice will play"holds true. I brought my laptop home and worked on our webseries that we're doing for "I Can't Believe It's not Butter, Spray!"- but I neglected my camera, and some weird things happened when I left my camera and took off for a couple of days. Luckily the yahoos at Fatkat took the time to leave incriminating photos.

It seems the fuckers broke into my office and watched my cartoons!

They even set up a computer on my desk and held confernce calls with a studio in Brazil!

The bastids even used my binoculars to peep on a lady undressing in the local resort across the street! I saw her first Patrick!!!


To top it all off, Leon was giving the international sign for hanky panky! LEON!!


But it doesn't end there, when I came into the office the next morning, there were some goodies waiting for me. Blueberry Pie, Toystory special Edition DVD, Ren & Stimpy 3rd season and an awesome book on drawing the Looney tunes, which I can't say enough good things about; it's not for kiddies, this book has great stuff!


The best part of my Birthday was going to a Montréal Canadiens / Boston Bruins game in Monctoon. It's not too often you get to see an NHL game. Smooches to Tara my lovley wife for taking me out for the night.

THis goaltender was amazing. Stopping 41 of 43 shots as the Bruins took the Habs 5-2.
Theodore, stoning Murray on a breakaway.

It was an awesome time!! Thanks Tara!!

But the excitement didn't end there! Oh NO! It continued the next day. All week Andrew Dunn was warning me of this intern guy coming up from Moncton to beg me for a job. He called me this morning telling me that this guy wouldn't leave untill he spoke to me, he was determined to get a job by working for free or waxing phesants or something. I was so grumpy, by the time I came in I was about to rip this kid a new one... and then I saw who this new intern was.

None other then Tony Grillo.

Tony secretly flew up from Florida to direct a couple of projects, see! can't you seem him directing!? Well can't you!? It's obvious.
Look at them all, coming back from a swanky lunch, relishing in the fact that they pulled one over on me. Fuckers.

I'll get you. I know where you all live, I watch you when you're sleeping. Especially when you're sleeping. I'm a little perverted like that.

I'm out bitches,

~G.

FITKAT DAY - 03

So we get out the Golden Hawk Gym for Fatkat Fit Day, everyone grabs a stick and we proceed with the messiest, dirtiest game of floor hockey ever imagined.

I donned the gear in one net.

Patrick took the pads in the other.

We're playing really well, it was like 7 people on each team all playing at once. total chaos.

And then it happened. Andy took a shot right in the balls. It ended everything. Poor buggah.

Studio B won the game 5-3. But only because we gave them Andrew Dunn, fucking traitor.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

FATKAT POST NOW OPEN TO COMMENTS



The dumbass Fatkat Blog moderator finally found out that you could leave comments on blog posting. Only took me 50,000 hits to realize this, and all the fun and insults I might have missed.

Gene.

MELANIE GOES FUGGIN CLOWN SHOES!


So we have this animator/designer chick, she's really talented. Hammers out scenes on Odd Job Jack, Caillou and god knows whatever else we send her way. She's the visual design talent behind our Lonesome Duck co-production property with the infamous Buddy Bolton.

So earlier today, while I was working at home, I recieved an Instant Message from Jon, one of our supervisors at Fatkat. He said, simply, "Mels gone fucking nuts Gene". I guess there was this HD scene that was giving her computer hell and it simply kept crashing time and time again. Her desk was toppled over, her computer on fire and the above note was left on her chair.


I might have taken some liberties with this story.

:o)

~G.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

FATKAT IN OTTAWA PT 3


Our second night in Ottawa was just as entertaining as the first, leaving us very drunk and walking home very late.

The next morning we packed our bags full of pitches and headed out with Buddy to the conference; he had Cloe strapped to his back. Cloe was very popular with the ladies; she got the biggest laughs as she walked down the street.

After all the pitches and meetings we hopped into a cab and got lost trying to get to PiP Animation Studios.
Here's one of the Fatkat founders, Rod Amador. Rod now works with Pip, but that's ok as we're now working with Pip and once again with on the pre-school show, Caillou.

It's about time Rod got a jersey, damn, he designed the logo you know!

Here's David Fortier from Pip showing us some amazing layouts from they're new show Carl squared. They were amazing, the layouts and the people. So friendly!

When we arrived we decided to hand around the electric pen. David first tried it and boy, he didn't even flinch. Perhaps this is the reason that Dulcie Clark (president and ceo of Pip) took it and gave it a squeeze. After a good minute of laughter we swept up some of the cups and plates that broke after her scream. Buddy Bolton quickly came to the rescue of some pictures that flew off the wall. Damn I should have gotten that on video. After all the laughs, the pen quickly dissapeared into the studio, we could hear some yelps while we continued our talks in the foyer.


Later on I reunited with some old friends, one being José Pou the other Frank Taylor. José and I met last year at the festival and hit it off well, drinking well into the night I think he was the only reason I made it back home. It's all really foggy, he's having a blast at Pip!

The story of Frank Taylor and I go back awhile. We first met in 1997 when I first made my appearence at the Ottawa animation festival as a student of NBCC Miramichi. I met Frank while he was at Funbag Studios in Ottawa. He was always very nice and I'm sure had a hand in my hiring by Funbag to work at their layout and posing studio Helix Animation in Halifax. I'm so glad to be working with Frank again, he's a great guy and is doing great things with
Pip Animation and his company Title Entertainment.

We're so glad to be working with all of you guys on Caillou!

After we returned to the hotel we were greeted by our next appointment. Craig McConnell from Inside Music

Craig is a great guy and used to play bass for the Wild Strawberries! Cool! Now besides partnering with us to make cartoons he's also managing bands such as The Novaks (BUY THE ALBUM!). We're glad to be working with you man!

After our drunken stuper with Craig and Buddy we decided around midnight to begin our drive home to Miramichi. 10 hours later I make a crucial mistake, this wrong turn had us about 3 hours off course. Running on only 2 hours sleep this was a dangerous drive. But we made it home in one piece.
Buddy Bolton was sad to see us go, getting choked up and everything.
We had fun at the festival and looking forward to going again next year. Until then we'll see you at Mip Junior, Mipcom, Kidscreen, Banff Tv Festival and possibly Cartoon Forum.


Remember though, smoking is bad for you.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

FATKAT IN OTTAWA PT 2


Ok, so we got up this morning, I think I was still drunk. No, I know I was still drunk. But onward and upward right?

So we get into the conference, our fellow festival goer Buddy Bolton and drew, stuffed their faces with some grub, I was still feeling too groggy for Breakfast.

We hit the fast track sessions, pitching our title show - Hopper and also flanking Buddy as he pitched Lonesome Duck and My Adventures with Cloe. All three shows got alot of interest from broadcastors throughout these sessions and later on that day with other appointments. It was a great experience and feeling to know that you're on the right track with some of these properties.

Here's a picture of buddy pitching to Ken Faier from Nerd Corp.

Again, Buddy pitching a show to Teletoon's Athena Georgaklis. The actual pitch package was in Cloe's belly; classy, hilarious. It really got some laughs.

The high point of the day for me was not all the network interest on our shows but a boat ride around the Rideau Canal put on by the festival. We hurried up the open bar and let the fun begin around 6pm.



A nice shot of Andrew and Buddy.


Then I ran into an Irish guy, and funny enough he works at FatCat Animation Studios in Arizona. !!!!!NOT TO BE CONFUSED IN ANYWAY TO THE REAL FATKAT ANIMATION STUDIOS HERE IN CANADA!!!!! His name is Pierce Cullinane. We took a few pictures of him with us to stick it to those imposters down south!

Fuckers think they can steal our name. We're Fatkat with a K yo!!! Nah it's all good, we'll share the name, we know who we are, we're comfy cozy.


A very dramatic shot of Buddy.

A very dramatic shot of the Bartender.

Ok, here it is, we know that we're silly, you by now, the viewing public and fellow animation enthsiasts know that we're a bunch of yahoos, drawing cartoons and having fun. Well last night we decided that the next day, we would have some real fun.

While we were on the boat ride we met with a lot of people. One of the highlights was finally getting to meet John Evershed from Mondo Media, of whom we're about to engage in a rather large production together. We've been speaking for several months, investing several thousands of dollars into our relationship. Late last night Buddy showed us this cool little gimmick and then it struck me. We had to test the relationship with John, we know we're a solid animation studio, he's obviously a great producer. What better way to help us bond then playing a prank on him.

The night before we laid the sketchwork for the prank.

We thought that Buddy's Electric Pen was amazing, It really gives a good shock when you try to use it. hours of fun. Our initial idea was to send it to Mondo Media, but with Jon right here in Ottawa. We knew that we had to try to get him to use the pen. Here's the footage. Hilariously Risky, but he's a great guy, building great Cartoons, we knew he'd be the type of guy that would have a laugh and then get us back 10 times worse later on. We know it's coming and it's going to be great.

Later on, after the boat ride, we went in search of a beer store with Pierce and Buddy.

Buddy and I having some sillyness.
A good shot of Pierce, this guy is the coolest. Right now we're having a great talk about animation in our hotel room. We're about to go hit the opening night party. We're not bringing the cameras but hell, trust me on two things; we're going to be working hard and playing hard.

See you tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

FATKAT IN OTTAWA PT 1

So Andrew and I had driven 12 hours through 3 provinces in our quaint and suprisingly gas efficient Kia Sorento. From our animation studio in Miramichi NB to the country's capital we went; remaining on Beef Jerky, Red Bull and chocolate chip muffins.

Some pictures from our winning the Plaster Rock highway. We made it through withou hitting a moose! yay for us.. .. and the town of Plaser rock.



On our road to Montreal...
Andrew snoozing.

After reaching 8am rush-hour traffic in Montréal and finally entering our Aristocat suite hotel room in Ottawa, we put away our belongings and after dazingly reviewing OIAF agendas and meeting schedules we went for a walk.




I love making faces in the mirror.
My favorite, the joker..

THinking of home...

Andrew thinking of beer.

We got into some good laughs about Fart Powder and tje value of electric pens.

with none other then Buddy Bolton, comic and genius behind Timmy Myers, Boy Sherrif, My Aventures with Cloe and Lonesome Duck. All productions Fatkat is associated with. Snoogins...

Regardless of this, Buddy wanted to set us on Fire.
Andrew mad a deal that if Buddy would let us live, that he would make out with the cartoon star, Cloe...

..and he did.