Friday, July 23

5:30-6:30 Concept Design for Entertainment— Avatar and many recent and upcoming productions are using not only state-of-the-art technology but also state-of-the-art design. Four of the industry’s leading and award-winning creature and production designers discuss and demonstrate how films are made from a nuts and bolts perspective and share their creative and artistic approach to design in film. Avatar’s lead creature designer Neville Page, production designer Rob Stromberg, concept designer Craig Shoji, and technical creature developer Alex Alvarez share not just the process of design but also the philosophical perspectives behind the approach. Room 5AB

i’ll most likely spend more time talking about my process for creating an illustration, and the problem solving that goes into it than showing off work. i’ll post the breakdowns on this site after the weekend. and i unfortunately won’t be able to show anything from thor since the content marvel is letting out is strictly controlled and out of my hands. but there’s enough visual candy getting out there anyhow that’s much more drool worthy.

i’m also looking forward to sipping a brew and watching diggnation live. and the TRS panel/taping. whatever the hell it is. i’m looking for laughs.

if you’d like to cross paths this weekend then get in touch. otherwise, have a great time in san diego!

I’m hoping to properly post these on my website at craji.com, but I’m still pushing to make it more complete before it goes live. This should do for now.

- – -

Alice in Wonderland
dir: Tim Burton
pd: Robert Stromberg

crowds

the still, very lovely, nichelle nichols

not quite what the new costume looks like, but he’s owning the char.

rubber body suit?

party time boba pimp

not sure where those glasses are going.

sdfd appreciating the cosplay

big mthrfkr

the fists!

1:1 ampsuit fits nicely in a 16mm

i’m pretty sure belle’s day job is at royal/t

this guy owns a comic shop and knew enough about thor to chat it up so we bought him a drink.

ea love

the xo!

madelynne and jasna

what the rest of the night weekend looked like.

around the corner was an alice exhibit that we ducked into for a minute. it looked really great! and it was nice to see some of my work blown up 1:1.

here is one of the concept images i did for the round room. i believe it’s also been published in the disney 23 magazine.

i took my camera to give ‘concert photography’ a shot and needless to say i was quickly humbled by all the rookie mistakes i made. of course, at the time, i thought i was on fire! striking my semi-squat photo poses on the stage, pushing composition to the eXtreme~!!1!, and turning this medium into my bitch.

then i got home and 3/4 of the shots were overexposed, blurry or simply in poor taste.

yeah.

go me…

here are some selects. hopefully they’re small enough to hide all my blunders.

also had a bit of fun with audrey and shae at the cafe du nord this past thursday seeing mother mother open for the sam roberts band. it’s too bad mother mother wasn’t headlining but i still had a great time. good music and a good venue. drinks are on the soft side, but i’m not complaining.

some of their music for those not familiar:

pensketch //

I’ve relocated pensketch to a new server thanks to Kevin Le (kevworks.net) so the forums and this blog have had a rocky few weeks. The mysql databases are back up and both should be working now, but there might still be some bumps to iron out so if you stumble across anything, let me know. Other than that, the uptime should be much more reliable.

work //

So I’ve wrapped up work (dec ’08) and parted ways with Los Angeles at the beginning of the year. I’ve been living in San Francisco for about 3 weeks now, adjusting to the new city. It took a little over a week to move in but I’ve now got a cozy little workspace carved into our dining room. Now all I need to find is, well, work. Or paid work that is.

Gutting Pasadena studio.

Driving over the Bay Bridge.

1,2,3…

Tada!

life //

In the meantime, I’d like to get up to Mammoth or Tahoe as much as possible. If anyone is interested in making a weekend trip with me and doesn’t mind driving, I’m more than willing to split the gas/driving. And in the case of Mammoth, can offer a place for you to stay.

I’ve been eyeing one of these, and think I can find one for a good deal since they’re so damn ubiquitous in the bay area :

If you’re selling one then get in touch. Until then, I’d love to make some snow friends up here. Like this guy.

so here are a few from my ‘need to zone and get this painting done’ work rotation:

The Faint: http://www.myspace.com/thefaint (who i recently saw at the henry fonda and couldn’t keep my feet from moving. they’re playing soon at the wiltern. i HIGHLY recommend!)
The Ting Tings: http://www.myspace.com/thetingtings (uk indie rck band that’s also having a show at the wiltern in oct. midweek. with santogold. should be good)
Cut Copy: new album is lovely. http://www.myspace.com/cutcopy check out ‘out there on ice’
Hot Chip: truthfully i think their live sessions and remixes are stronger than their album cuts. i’d recommend ‘boy from school’ itunes live session. http://www.pensketch.com/bfs.mov
 Ghostland Observatory: a new album – robotique majestique! thank god! these guys scream to make me dance. and yeah, straight guys can long to go out and dance. especially when the music is this good. http://www.myspace.com/ghostlandobservatory check out dancing on my grave and go from their down the tracklisting. solid work.

The Verve: new ‘forth’ album is really good. http://www.myspace.com/theverve

more to come!

and some concert pix. radiohead at the bowl was TOO FUCKING BRILLIANT~ monday night madness. i’ll post vids!~

where did my sake go..?

My first impression was ‘wow, people here are fat.’ It really hit me when I was at the Getty and I was surrounded by several groups of school kids just bursting out of their clothing. It’s a bit appalling after spending so much time near fresh, affordable food and surrounded by fit / thin folks.

Living in a city that is so car-centric doesn’t help.

Living in a country that is so fast-food oriented doesn’t help.

Working in an office behind a computer all day doesn’t help.

But it just means I’ll be putting that much more effort into maintaining my health.

- – -
Audrey is up in San Francisco and I’m scrambling to follow suit. I’ll be here for two months working as a concept illustrator on an untitled Zemeckis project, then I’ll be on my way. More commuting, but hey, it’s a good team and a fun project.

I’ll finish posting pics about my trip to India when things simmer down a bit. I haven’t forgotten.

It all started here: http://designercowboy.blogspot.com/2008/05/serious-trash.html

then here:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.viewVideos&channelid=82433

and then ended up here:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-artcenter11-2008jun11,0,7266639.story

and here:

http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/arts-news/controversy-surrounds-yet-anot/

and many more places.

Please take a moment to read through this and sign the petition if you feel you believe in the cause. We’re (students, faculty, alum) are trying to re-prioritize the education of the current students and make the school the best it can be without the need for name-brand (gehry) buildings. There will be a time and place for that type of expansion, but it shouldn’t happen if it will compromise the education of the students now.

- – - – - -

Dear Art Center Trustees,

We, the undersigned, are members of the Art Center Community: its students, alumni, faculty, and staff. First and foremost, we are requesting that the Board of Trustees act — in its capacity as governing body of the school — to put an immediate halt to the current Art Center Master Development Plan which includes the Gehry designed DRC.

The mission of Art Center has traditionally been and should be the nurturing of professional design and artistic abilities through the education of its students. We believe that this tradition of educational excellence has been compromised under the direction of the current administration and its president Richard Koshalek, and we ask that the Board of Trustees take immediate action to again make education the school’s top investment priority.

That prioritization of education should result in tangible and immediate improvements for students, classes, facilities, and teachers. To that end, we request that the Board also take action to dramatically reduce non-educational administrative expenses. We ask that fund raising efforts place the highest priorities on scholarships and endowments which directly benefit current and future students.

Lastly, we request greater alumni representation on the college’s senior leadership team and we respectfully request the opportunity for one or more of our Community delegates to formally address the Board at its next meeting in order to make our concerns known.

As members of the Art Center Community, we stand together: firmly committed to the legacy of the school, its students and alumni. Art Center is not made up of one man’s vision, but one vision built from the whole of past, present and future students. Please do not allow yourselves to be distracted by the legacy needs of one man. Do not continue to allow critically-needed capital to be diverted to non-essential uses. Do not spend more time and money on the distant future, when there is great present need. Put education first.

Thank you for your time and attention.

- – - – - – -

You can find the Art Center petition at www.accdpetition.com.

We have over 1000 signatures and we’re shooting for 1500 in the next few days. Please help out!

And don’t be misguided by the top administration’s attempt to rally support for Richard Koshalek with their ‘counter’ petition. If you read through theirs it doesn’t really make much sense.

it’s hard to sum up the india experience in a single post so i’ll just go through it day by day and reference my journal. in a word, it was, incredible.

but that’s what i was hoping for.

- – -

smoke and smog greet us.

we landed in mumbai around 10am and ran into some good luck right off the plane. while talking to the woman at the prepaid taxi stand, another passenger from the plane came up and kind of took over the conversation in hindi. he asked where we were going then offered to share the taxi with us since thane was on the way to where he was headed. after looking at audrey and getting the ‘uh, i guess‘ look, we went for it. i was much more willing to jump into quick-trust situations on the trip than she was, but it didn’t take long for her to warm to a similar attitude. after all we were going to be couchsurfing with someone i had only talked to once on skype incl. a few email exchanges.

running into anand (the guy we shared the cab with) turned out great. he found our cab, used a local telephone to call josiah (the guy we were crashing with) and get directions, then offered to buy us some tea. when we got to thane he ended up paying for the cab ride and waiting for us while josiah picked us up. the whole experience was extremely kind and an easy transition into the country.

hung out for a bit and chatted with our host and his gf. both of whom were incredibly kind and interesting to talk to. i can’t stop shouting praises about couchsurfing. once we were caught up we went exploring around the city.

but first a snack. i believe this is a bombay special, and i think called ‘varapow’. but i’m not certain. it’s like a fried masala stuffed in a hawaiian roll with some relish slathered inside. seriously magically delicious. the texture was soft, smooth, crunchy, squishy. sooo good.. i didn’t realize how great they were till i started craving them when we left mumbai.

varapow!

it took about an hour to get from thane to downtown by cab. you have to first grab a rickshaw to the toll bridge then pick up a cab from there. the cabbies didn’t speak much english but we managed to explain where we wanted to go. in thane/mumbai they all meter their fares by the km and the trip downtown was around375Rs (under 10$). 40Rs is 1$.

typical 3 wheeler rickshaw (tuk-tuk).

typical india traffic.

the traffic is really something in india. especially in mumbai. you learn quick that you need to be extremely aggressive to make it through those streets alive. everyone honks, and it’s actually encouraged when driving around bigger trucks so they know you’re there. the lanes aren’t really adhered to, but it works in an organized chaos fashion. everyone driving knows the system as well as their vehicle. it made me realize that when you drive your car/rick like these guys do, you get a concrete understanding of your turning radius, acceleration, stopping distance, etc that people who aren’t used to driving like this never truly experience. perhaps that’s why there are so many accidents in l.a. sitting in traffic has numbed everyone to the experience of driving that they barely know how to handle their own vehicle when it comes to avoiding a collision.

i thought the chaos was a lot of fun.

the bombay ambassador taxi. aka, fiat premier padmini. not super comfy, but lots of charm to make up for it.

lots of cute 3 wheelers.

we ended up in churchgate, then walking along marine drive next to the water, down to chowpatti beach and then drove up to malabar hill to check out the ‘hanging gardens.’ rather bare and not really impressive but there were a lot of people just ‘hanging’ out. so maybe it was a misunderstanding in translation..

walking along the ledge at marine drive.

the concrete beach stained with betelnut.

ordering some food at the chowpatti beach stands.

bhelpuri snack. crispy, sweet, tangy from some orange zest. cilantro and dried bananas. it was good, but not great.

playing at chowpatti beach.

it was getting dark so we went to see the haji ali mosque around sunset. the crowds, the heat, the colors, the beggars, the beauty, the trash, the goats, the kids, the smells.

i bought a handkerchief for 10Rs. i should’ve bought more.

popular spot on a sunday. this is just past the military controlled metal detectors.

shops hug the left, a ledge leading to rocks, trash, goats and water on the right. then a long stream of people moving to and form the mosque.

hanging around in the debris.

chasing after a plastic bag.

inside the mosque. the guys like audrey. :)

standing outside the mosque looking back towards the way we came.

sunset.

found a taxi, took it back to thane and got ready for dinner with josiah. he took us to a place (and i’m cursing myself for not getting the name of it) that was tucked in the corner of a mall near his house. the food was really incredible. some of the best indian i’ve ever had.

a skewer of onion, peppers and cottage cheese. holy f*$%ing tasty batman!

a clay pot of basmati rice sealed with bread dough.

tada! it’s delicious!

turns out dil se is ‘for free.’ more yum though i was so busy eating i didn’t get the proper name for a lot of these dishes.

didn’t have enough room in my tummy to finish the jelebi. such a shame.

good food is always, always, always, a great way to finish the day.

regardless, it’s pretty obnoxious and i’m close to knocking on their door to ask them to keep it down but for now i’m settling with cranking my music up as loud as this little macbook+altec lansing can handle. it’s passive aggressive, i know, but it’s working for now. and ever since my neighbors in pasadena took to banging on my walls at the slightest hint that i was listening to music, i’ve made a little pledge to prevent myself from being like them if the roles were reversed. well now they are, and here i am. blasting my music. not to send them a message, but to rather drown out the ruckus. (or maybe both.. :) )

on that note, the klaxons rock. you might know them by such great hits as golden skans and it’s not over yet. between them and jim sturgess singing all my loving i should be able to hold my own against singaporetechnofever2008.

speaking of, i got to check out the butter factory a little while back and had a rather good time. some things i’ve noticed about the singapore night life:

- the drinks are very soft. most of the bartenders measure the shots.
- it’s rather expensive for ‘brand’ drinks that soft (15-17 SGD$ / 10 $USD) but their house vodka is usually smirnoff so it’s not a bad pour.
- some locations have just one person running the cash register so all transactions get queued at this choke point resulting in a long wait for change.
- since you don’t tip on drinks, 10 USD$ isn’t that bad after all.
- most of the people in the club look 15.
- there is an air of.. innocence and little pretense amongst the locals. easier to understand in person than put into words, but it’s really refreshing.

the first room is adorned with cute (and familiar) illustrations.

the second (dance) room before i got this party started.

and once people got the hint that it’s a dance floor.

the butter factory is in a rather touristy place called clark quay. there is a stretch that’s covered by a rain canopy and has some blower vents attached to the columns that are circulating air. very cool aesthetic.

translucent canopy at clark quay.

blower vents.

there are also a lot of night life spots to check out in that area for food, drinks, and ambiance. one that stuck out was clinic. a themed, chic restaurant that didn’t receive that best praise for it’s food by bourdain, but gets points for creativity. i haven’t had the pleasure so i’ll just point out it looked neat.

fetish even.

yeah, those are wheelchairs.

oh and i’m almost over this bug. thanks to antibiotics, lots of toilet paper, and sleep. some may think i’m pushing it by keeping to the spicy food so soon after i was ill but i figure it’s training for india. and it’s so hard to say no to the vat of soysauce with the little floating chilis… that and it’s blasphemous to eat chicken rice without the chili sauce. which brings me to — food!

at the direction of the makansutra i headed to another die, die must try spot for hainanese chicken rice. i’ve been itching to have some good chicken rice since i got here and this place really hit the spot. the rice was subtle and not very oily but had a good flavor. it’s not the most flavorful rice i’ve had but the light taste was a welcome change from the predominantly oil filled dishes here. the chicken was really good but after being in taiwan and having that chicken, this didn’t really compare. in all fairness, i don’t think any chicken compares to the stringy, free range awesomeness that taiwan has to offer.

but i will say that the chili sauce is top notch. there was a hint of orange zest lime juice on top of the ginger and chili that added a few layers of yummy. i’ve yet to find a better place for chicken rice here, but i’m still searching so i think it’s too early to rule this as king.

tian tian chicken rice.

the long queue at maxwell center for the goods. usually a sure sign of a winner.