PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
July 5, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442
Workshop by Austin's own world-renowned
animation artist—Bob Sabiston
On Wednesday, July 25, 2001, at 7:00 p.m., at the Southeast Austin Community Branch of the Austin Public Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Road, Bob Sabiston will conduct a special workshop for young adults and adults. If you have ever wondered how animated films are made, this is your opportunity. Sabiston, animation director for the feature film Waking Life, directed by Richard Linklater and produced by the Independent Film Channel, will demonstrate how animated films are made using the signature rotoscoping software he has developed himself. Film clips from his feature films will be viewed, along with an on-the-spot animation of videotape taken of some participants present that evening. This presentation and workshop will prove to be an eye-opening experience.
The workshop is hosted by the Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth Center, a technology learning center for young adults in the Southeast Austin community. "This is the type of programming and learning experience we like to provide for students and users of the Dell Centers. We want our students to walk away with new options for pursuing their interests using technology, including ideas for careers," said Beth Solomon, Wired for Youth Librarian. For additional information contact Ms. Solomon at (512) 462-1452.
About Bob Sabiston
Sabiston is a computer animation artist living in Austin, Texas. He is a graduate of the MIT Media Laboratory, where he received his Bachelor of Science and a Masters degree in computer graphics research. Both visual arts and computer programming figure prominently in his short films, including: God's Little Monkey, Roadhead, Snack and Drink and Figures of Speech. All of his films have appeared in numerous festivals and have received awards, including Austria's 1996 Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica for God's Little Monkey. Sabiston's most recent work was as animation director for Richard Linklater's animated feature Waking Life. This film was initially shot in digital video with live actors, and represents a revolutionary approach to animation by transforming a cast of dozens of live actors into unique animated characters, each interpreted by a different artist. The animation phase of the film was done entirely in Austin, under the supervision of LineResearch. This technique uses the software created by Bob Sabiston, which allows artists to paint over the digital footage using a technique of interpolated rotoscoping. Filmmaker Magazine describes this technique as "shimmering impressionism with a pop cartoon flair."
About the Wired for Youth Centers
Through the Austin Public Library Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers were created with a grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and are staffed by professional youth librarians. The librarians have a high level of expertise in technology, and teach various types of computer skills from Web page development to use of office applications. Wired for Youth Centers (WFY) were designed to help bridge the "digital divide" for youth who are least likely to have access to personal computers and technology. "Children living in the information age will be disadvantaged without easy access to information-age tools for learning. The Internet, like our libraries, opens the door to new worlds and new opportunities for our children," said Susan Dell. The Austin Public Library System currently has six fully staffed centers. For additional information about the WFY centers or about the Austin Public Library, visit http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ or call (512) 974-7405.
