North Bay Film Festival 2024 | November 15-17
Animate Your Imagination: A Free Workshop with Industry Pros
As part of the kickoff for the North Bay Film Festival, we’re excited to offer a special, hands-on animation workshop in collaboration with Lakeside Animation, one of Canada’s premier animation studios. This workshop will give participants of all ages the chance to dive into the world of animation and explore the behind-the-scenes magic of storytelling in this dynamic industry. Whether you’re an aspiring animator, writer, or simply curious about the process, this event is the perfect way to start your festival experience. Join us on Friday, November 15, 2024, for an afternoon of creative insights, industry tips, and inspiration at the Capitol Centre in North Bay.
KEY DETAILS:
- Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 2024, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Location: Capitol Centre, Betty Speers Theatre, 150 Main St E, North Bay
- Admission: Free, open to all ages; registration is not required but an RSVP is appreciated
Part 1 – Writing for Animation (1 hour)
Overview:
This session will introduce students to the basic elements of concept and character creation for an animated series. Through lectures, screenings and an interactive workshop, students will learn the same methods and techniques that screenwriters use to create the original shows on YouTube, Netflix, Prime, Apple TV+. The session will conclude a Q&A.
Audience Takeaway:
- Understanding what target demographic you are writing for.
- Understanding what a series concept is and how to craft one.
- Understanding the basic elements of character creation.
- Understanding the basic elements of plot and structure.
Instructor: Aron Dunn
Chief Content Officer, Lakeside Animation Studios
An industry vet with two decades of experience, When he’s not crafting a killer pitch, or delivering his latest script, he is staying in touch with his “inner kid” by reading the latest comic books or playing the hottest video games. Over the course of his career, Aron has worked with Cartoon Network, CTC, Disney XD, Nickelodeon, Teletoon, YTV, Treehouse, KiKA, and CBC Kids. He has also contributed scripts to numerous animated comedy series including Taffy, Lex & Plu: Space Taxi Drivers, Super Wings, Cupcake and Dinosaur: General Services, Chuck Chicken, Rusty Rivets, Pocoyo, Camp Lakebottom, Justin Time, Trucktown and The Insectibles. He also recently completed showrunning the first season of Pet Shop Zombies, an animated YouTube he co-created with Simon Watts.
Prior to joining Lakeside Animation, Aron held senior development roles with some of Canada’s most prolific and acclaimed producers, including Breakthrough Entertainment and Portfolio Entertainment.
Part 2 – Personal Development in Creative Industries (1 hr)
Overview:
Students will actively participate in drawing and lateral thinking exercises during a dynamic and personal presentation given by Matt Lyon, Chief Creative Officer of Lakeside Animation. The lecture is designed to engage the crowd through the story of Matt’s career, literally “drawing out” the lessons he learned along the way. It is a truncated version of Centennial College’s Character Design course that Matt has taught for 20 years and has presented to crowds across the world at film festivals and international animation conferences.
45 minute active session – 15 min Q&A
Audience Takeaway:
- Succeeding in the animation industry
- Creating a marketable property and selling it
- Standing out in the arts
- Learn to ask questions like an artist
- Active participation in several live drawing exercises (regardless of skill level)
Instructor: Matt Lyon
Chief Creative Officer, Lakeside Animation Studios
Matt is an animation industry veteran of 25 years working as everything from designer/animator to writer/director. He created and developed the 2019 feature Arctic Dogs (featuring Jeremy Renner, John Cleese and Alec Baldwin) and has since focused on developing original content for international audiences as Chief Creative Officer of Lakeside Animation Studios. Most recently he wrote and directed several episodes of the animated horror series Red Iron Road (Amazon Prime) and is currently developing an adult animated series with comedy legends the Kids in the Hall for Lakeside.
For 20 years, he has taught character design, animation, and storytelling at Centennial College’s Digital Animation program in Toronto.
Part 3 – Lakeside Animation Screening (1 hr)
Overview:
After the workshops the instructors will screen selected episodes from a range of projects. For more information visit www.lakesideanimation.com. All content screened will be age appropriate for a high school audience.
30 min screening – 15 min Q&A