MY VISIT TO OTTAWA - MONTREAL | PT.4

Big Show meets Mr.Dunn

So on our way to Ottawa, Mr.Dunn and I get lost and I mean lost!! - We spent an unprecidented 3 and a half hours on the outskirts of Ottawa trying to find the way down town. I mean c'mon! - How hard is it to find this frickin city!? - Well it looks like there might have been a carbon dioxide leak in the truck we were driving as we must have been out of our minds. *snicker.

So finally we find the Delta hotel and check in. Up to the room we go to our comfy beds, but when we get up there we find that there is only bed, not beds!! - DAM!

Lucky Mr.Dunn is a smooth talker, he phones the front desk and gets a free upgrade! So back down to the front desk we went. Ugh the W

In the morning, Andrew takes off to hit up some more studios and networks.

I phoned up a new guy I just hired, Andrew Blodgett, he offered to show me around at Algonquin College! There's far too many Andrew's at Fatkat, so we christened him "Big Show". Because he's, well, Big, and he uhm. Showed up? Not sure. He does look like Big Show the wrestler though!

There he introduced me to Neil Hunter and Paul West who run the animation program.

These guys were a blast! - They showed me all around the school and popped some some reels on the screen for me to check out. These two guys clearly know how to run an animation program, I was really impressed! These guys clearly deserve G5 Laptops!

So after Big Show and I hit Algonquin, Mr. Dunn and I convinced him to not wait until mid June to move to Miramichi, but instead to drive with us hooligans now and complete our roadtrip!



Just before leaving though, Big Show and I took a cab to go see Rod Amador who's working at Amberwood Animation downtown. He's also just learned that his girl Amanda is pregnant! - WOW! Congrats dude!!!







He agreed! - He called up his parents, who were on their way down that weekend and told them that he was going on a Fatkat Roadtrip! Check out the Video!


So after waiting for him to pack up his junk, we jumped in the truck and headed to Montreal! After checking in, we headed down to Saint Catherine's Street and had the best chicken sandwich on the planet!!

Again after some phenomenal meetings in Montreal, we were on the road again. Whew! what a drive man, 11 hours! - We stopped along the way though, the picture above was taken in Grand Falls, a nice little town just on the border of New Brunswick and Quebec.


We also stopped at Plaster Rock so Big Show could talk to the dude in the Canoe.

And after driving through the deer and moose infested back road that is the Plaster Rock Highway, we made it to Miramichi, Big Show you're home dude!

Now let the good times begin!

~g.

MY VISIT TO ONTARIO - TORONTO | PT.3

Wow, am I ever backlogged! I haven't posted in a week!

What a whirlwind trip! - A vacation in Hamilton for a week, a day in Toronto, Ottawa then Montreal and then back on the Road to Miramichi! What a trip! I reccomend it!

So Mr.Dunn came and picked my butt up in Hamilton late Monday night, we headed to Toronto and of course, got lost thanks to our friends at Mapquest! :o)

We went and checked in with our pals at Nelvana.

And with our good friends at CBC.

I went and checked out some animation schools while in Toronto, Max The Mutt was one that really stood out in my mind, Tina and Maxine showed me around and I got to go see all the cool student reels and even met a few of them. Above is something that I always see no matter where I go in animation, be it a studio or a school. Ha!



So after a day of hitting up networks, studios and schools in beautiful Toronto (which is alot nicer a city then I anticipated) - We're off to Ottawa!

YAY for 5 hour drives!!

~g.

MY VISIT TO ONTARIO - HAMILTON | PT.2

Today I went to go visit the guy that taught me everything I know about Animation. Harold Duckett taught me animation at NBCC Miramichi in the first year they offered it back in 1997.

Here's my class at NBCC Miramichi back in 1997 - Many have moved on, most not in Animation, but some of them held on and can be found in nearby Studios such as Hummina Hummina, Wetsand and Speilo. Others have gone on to different arts liks Tattoos and Airbrushing.

At 6'4" Hal is pretty intimidating, there's not too many students who didn't pass in assignments!


Hal worked on many a show during his time at Warner Bros. Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop and Tiny Toons to name just a few.



A master draftsman and one of the finest Layout and Pose guys around Harold showed me quickly what a life in animation was truly all about; but that didn't shake me. I still wanted in and despite some trying days since then, I still am madly in love with what I do for a living!




Harold is also an amazing caricature artist, able to capture the essence of people within mere moments. I remember he did a caricature of me, finished in ink and colour within 5 minutes! - He does alot of caricatures during the summer months, keeping him outside and making alot of cash on busy days!




See more of Hal's caricatures on his site here - www.cartoonmonster.tv You can also view his video portfolio below on youtube. I hope you don't mind Hal!!


More to come on my adventures in Ontario!

Gene.

MY VISIT TO ONTARIO - HAMILTON | PT.1

So I've decided that I cannot take the hounding anymore, from my co-workers at Fatkat to my wife and parents and even some of our clients. They all tell me it's time to take some time for myself! It's time to take a vacation!


Do I go to Florida? - Europe? Perhaps China? - No I go to Ontario! - Hey why not, my wife and I have never been.
So off we go to see my parents and my sister in Hamilton! Of course we do the touristy things, Niagra Falls, the Butterfly Conservatory. Traveling to see my Dad's childhood home in Simcoe and his old hotrod club was really cool. Had a hotdog at "The Arbour" in Port dover was very reminscent of a burger and fries from "Ben's" here in Miramichi. Good Times!

Great photo opportunities at the botannical gardens.




Butterflies were amazing, I'd highly reccomend checking out a conservatory if the opportunity presents itself.

My sister took me to an INXS concert, a good time! Used to love these guys growing up, even now they certainly put on a good show.

More to come!

Gene.