VISIONFEST 2010

I was honored when I was approached recently to be the keynote speaker for the Visionfest animation festival scheduled for October 22-23 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. I look forward on having a great weekend !
Below are the details from their site:

Animator Mark Pudleiner joins VisionFest to deliver keynote address

Animation industry veteran to address audience when animation and gaming festival returns to Indianapolis October 22-23
Renowned animator Mark Pudleiner will serve as keynote speaker at VisionFest, a juried student animation and gaming festival scheduled for October 22-23 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pudleiner is a veteran of the animation industry, with nearly three decades of experience bringing characters to life for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Dreamworks and several other studios.
His film credits include such box-office heavyweights as Shrek 2, Meet the Robinsons, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Tarzan, Mulan, An American Tail, The Land Before Time and many more. He currently teaches 2D and 3D animation and story at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts), as well as for Animation Mentor, an online animation school. Pudleiner follows in the footsteps of such previous VisionFest keynotes as Academy Award-winner John Canemaker and Industrial Light and Magic’s Rick O’Connor. More information about Pudleiner and his work can be found on his blog at www.markpudleiner.blogspot.com.
There is no cost to attend VisionFest or any of its programs, screenings or workshops. Full program details for VisionFest will soon be available.
Student submissions for competition and screening are still being accepted. There is no fee to enter and all entries must be postmarked by July 28, 2010. Students from around the world compete in three levels of competition (high school, undergraduate and graduate) in the categories of animation and games/interactive arts. Submission instructions are available at www.visionfest.org.
First established in 2005, VisionFest is one of the few animation festivals open only to student work. To date, more than 250 talented students representing nine countries and 56 schools have been part of VisionFest. Its mission is to create an environment of imagination, inspiration and education between emerging student talent and established industry leaders. VisionFest is organized by the Indiana University School of Informatics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).



official site note click HERE
about VisionFest click HERE

VisionFest Facebook link click HERE

some student reviews:

Below are some of my latest student reviews from teaching Advanced Body Mechanics at ANIMATION MENTOR. I'm proud that I get these reviews as I really do care about teaching. The hard work really does pay off when you get positive reviews from the people you teach. And I love that they are passionate about learning. It's been another good year and as I'm finding out at my day job teaching at Van Arts in Vancouver, there is no shortage of interest for learning both 3D and Traditional animation. We will be very busy.

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So far all my critiques have been very clear and precise on what changes are needed in animation. Just by going over his suggestions, I feel like I'm starting to truly understand body mechanics.

He seems to know his stuff and he does a good job interacting with his students. I like how he puts everyone on screen to see what we're doing.


Mark is a great mentor who focuses on weight and hips. I have learned a lot from him. I really appreciate that he says hi to everyone in QA.

The way he explained how body mechanics works is very clear and precise and I always look forward to the weekly QnA. The citiques that I received are also very helpful too.


I really appreciate the detail Mark goes into when critiquing my work. He has a great eye and focuses on getting the body mechanics correct before going into secondary movements. He has really helped me understand how to animate weight and shifting of balance. I also enjoy his use of the Q and A by drawing on a cintique to illustrate ideas.


He always goes thru all of us via web cam before every class to say hello, and I've learned much more this class than previously because of it

I enjoy working with Mark. He is funny and makes the class interesting. The e crits are always helpful too! Overall I am happy with how the class is going. Maybe are q and a;s can be more focues on body mechanics? Thanks would be cool!

Mark is a friendly, personable and considerate mentor. He always takes his time in QA sessions to greet each students. In his e-critiques he always makes sure that his students keep the fundamentals of body mechanics in mind (ie how the hips are posed) and although the limited rig doesn't make this easy, I'm very grateful for his effort to do so. He has a great attitude towards the industry, and his love for animation shows through from his occasional stories about the industry.

He gives very good critiques, focusing in on areas that need the most work. In QnAs he comes across very friendly and approachable and answers any questions we have clearly.

I think he is a very inspiring mentor. He gave me lots of ideas to experiment with. He is also quite strict, which made me work hard to meet all his requirements. He has an amazing sense of humor, and he is a humble person too. He took his time to watch our work and make a good critique out of it. Very pro active, and always motivating us to work harder, and to expand our minds in a creative way. I´m really enjoying his classes.

And now for something completely different...

Yes, as noted in the article above, I was a bad guy. Well, it least that's what the writer wrote describing the setting above.

Actually that's me dressed in a robe and posing as the villain Frollo for Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame.

This was a completely set up shot for the article that appeared in the April 1995 issue of Fortune magazine. It was regarding Micheal Eisner and his history of running the Disney empire up until that point in time.

I had started on Hunchback January 17th 1994 { The same day of the very large Northridge Earthquake in the LA area. That made it fairly easy to remember when I first

started at Disney feature } and was cast originally on the Frollo crew. One day the door opened to my room and i was asked if I could pose in the frollo outfit for a publicity photo. Something to do about Micheal Eisner. I said sure and the next thing is I'm standing in a room dressed in the robe, surrounded by co-workers. Didn't expect to be doing that when i woke up that day. And also didn't expect to see myself in the April edition of Fortune magazine either.

Animation. Never know what's going to happen tomorrow. Or the next day. I gave up trying to think i know whats going on or whats going to happen. One day at a time my friends, one day at a time. ;-)

INSPIRATION 6 - Pres Romanillos

rest in peace Pres.
It has been an honor to know a man who held his head so high
while facing the next step forward. So much respect. You are an amazingly strong person who taught so many with your path. Peaceful journey and much love. - mark