Animation Dingle 2017

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

So, this weeks blog post is going to be a little different. Over the weekend, I attended Animation Dingle for the second time. It's a truly fantastic event that not just celebrates animation but, creativity in general. So, I want to talk a little about my time at the event and the experience.

One of the first things you'll notice about Dingle is its striking beauty. It's no wonder the event is held here every year. The scenic backdrop is such a huge part of what makes the event so special. You could spend hours just admiring the beauty of the surrounding area.

While the landscape may be beautiful, there's still so much more going on over the two days. Some of the most talented people from all over the world involved in the industry come to Dingle to speak and share advice while doing their best to help people grow and improve. The great thing about meeting people at Animation Dingle is just how informal the whole thing is. There's no sense of rankings or "I'm better than you" attitude during the event. Everyone is there to help and offer advice to everyone and if you see a certain twice Oscar nominated director and want to have a chat, you can do just that.

This year, the very talented writer and director, Dean DeBlois gave a fantastic Keynote at the event that gave an insight into his career and the path he took to get where he is today. It was such an inspiring talk that left me feeling a new sense of determination to keep pushing myself and to try new things. He was such a down to earth person who was very happy to speak with people and offer advice.

We were also very lucky to get a look at some footage from Cartoon Saloons new feature, "The Breadwinner" ​The panel spoke about some of the process of the movies art pipeline and seeing the dedication to the art process and voice actors direction was simply amazing. It's clear to see these are people driven by a passion to create something amazing that fans will not only love but also tells a real story with depth.

This year also saw the introduction of a new format called "The Big Pitcher" where students shortlisted had the opportunity to pitch their project to a panel of industry professionals. The winner of the process would get an internship at Jam Media. I'm thrilled that the winner of this years pitch went to the very talented Chris Craig. You can check out Chris and his work over on his Twitter and Instagram.

During the event, there are a number of workshops to attend. One of which was the very informative Toon Boom workshop. I later had the chance to talk with Toon Boom's very own Daniel Santos about future plans for the studio and its tools and I'm looking forward to following up with Daniel in the near future.

If all that isn't enough for you, Dingle is also home to some of the most amazing food and of course, Fungi, the dolphin.

The event may be over for another year but, it's left me with a recharged sense of motivation and some new ideas for projects that I'm excited to start. I got to catch up with some very talented friends and made some new ones. I'm already counting down the days to next years Animation Dingle and if you're a creative person, then I highly recommend you check it out.

Anyway, I'm going to go make use of this new motivation. Until next time!