We had the chance to catch up with the talented and very busy Tina Price, who is getting ready for the third edition of her CTN Expo (held Nov. 18-20) at the Burbank Marriot. She was kind enough to fill us in about some of the great panels and events planned for next weekend’s toon confab.
OK, first up, our readers want to know about the highlights of this year’s events. Can you tell us more about what’s happening next weekend?
Tina Price: The entire event is the highlight from Oscar Grillo to Carlos Grangel to Regis Loisel to the U.S. exclusive screenings of A Cat in Paris to the U.S. launch of the first printed publication of the Sketchtravel book with book signings networking and more. New this year are “Conversations with Creators” where attendees gain privileged access to “have a conversation” with someone that maybe they’ve only read about or seen online.
What are you personally excited about?
Like an artist mixing paint I like to bring talent together from all over the world, some you’ve heard of and some not as well known, and put them under one roof for three days to interact and see what kind of canvas that can create. Because, after all, it’s “the talent” that creates the magic and I’m excited every year to see “what happens”!
What do you think makes this event stand out from other similar animation events?
This is not an “animation festival”. It is an animation expo. It’s not about the tea cups or the t-shirts or even the films. It is a “talent driven” event. We celebrate that talent.
What kind of lessons have your learned from the first two editions of the expo?
That there’s a lot of amazing talent out there!
What is your personal take on the animation scene in 2011?
We are in the midst of a huge transition. A shifting away from something to include many other things be it in-house, independent, virtual, iPad, film, the internet, transmedia, community and more……It’s both frightening and exciting as we look ahead navigating and designing our way separately and together into this “new” unknown model.
We are all very impressed by the caliber of talent and the fantastic panels you put together for the Expo…what is the biggest challenge of putting this event together?
With all the talent out there and more every year, finding who will be at CTN next is both the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of this event.
Do you have any tips for Expo newcomers? What is the best way to plan ahead for the event?
This event is truly a once in a lifetime experience. You will never see this group of talent together, in this way, ever again. The theme this year is “The Chain of Inspiration” because we are merely messengers on this journey so please absorb what you find here, take it home with you and pass it on! In the words of Steve Jobs, “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
The CTN Expo will take place Nov. 18-20 at the Burbank Marriot.
For up-to-date announcements and schedule visit www.ctnanimationexpo.com
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