Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society announces it has found a new long term location to host its courses, workshops and production assistance — and reminds local artists to pencil the annual Animation Lockdown into their schedules and sign up their young folk for Quickdraw’s summer camps this year.
Quickdraw will — following some renovations — be located at 2011 10 Ave. SW, in the same building as TRUCK Gallery and the West Village Theatre. The Society is converting the space into a fully functional animation facility with a well-equipped classroom, five production studios and a roomier resource library. The new space is also on the first floor, making it more accessible to those with limited mobility.
Despite the renovation and relocation efforts taking place this summer, Quickdraw is still planning key yearly activities. First up will be the 9th Annual Animation Lockdown, May 20-23 at the current 11 Ave. location. The 48-hour animation challenge is open to everyone and this year’s theme is “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” — loops, transformations and cyclical narratives encouraged. A $100 entry fee gets you a one year producing membership to the Society, production support and food (and caffeine) for the duration of the Lockdown. Completed films will be screened later that week.
And Quickdraw will still be putting on its Summer Animation Camps for Kids (July) and Teens (August). The week-long courses, taught by Jean-Francois Cote, will guide youngsters as they explore the animation process through drawings, cutout characters, plasticine and CG programs. Each participant will complete a short animated movie with sound and receive a DVD compilation of their work to take home.
