Road to Eldorado is a $70 million animated feature in the tradition of the old Hollywood buddy movies. Visit Dreamworks and Alberta director Don Paul as he melds hand-drawn scenes with the industry’s best computer-generated effects. From the big to the small, travel to Vancouver to meet Bruce Wilson, a young animator with funny ideas and a good pencil sharpener, but no money.
Grade levels: Adult
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Toons in a Digital Age
How do you create a computer-generated character that is transparent . . . and naked? That was the challenge for Mainframe Entertainment when they made their first feature, Casper’s Haunted Christmas. After unmasking that mystery, travel to Seattle and the corporate home of one of the weirder web cartoons. Then it’s on to Miami, Manitoba, where the company’s freelance animators churn out the flash-rendered FishBar.
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For Love or Money
15 Pound Pink Productions’ president is a cat. And its product is death. Ten years ago the company’s short film about a bad day for death called Mr. Reaper’s Very Bad Morning was supposed to be seven minutes long. It’s now over 20. Will it ever be finished? Also, take a look at the interactive end of the animation business – a snowboarding video game that draws every bit of bandwidth it can so the kids can have “more stuff.”
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Attack From Within: Living With Arthritis
Christine Enfield doesn’t recall hearing her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis – she was only 6 years old. Christine’s disease and her pain are severe. Her life is a daily struggle for control over a disease that can be treated but not cured. Christine’s experience with arthritis, and three other intimate stories, describes the tribulations of arthritis sufferers. It is an insight into a disease that affects virtually every family in Canada. Animated illustrations provide a dynamic schematic of the disease and take us for a ride through the human body to witness the origin, progression and treatment of the disease.
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FAS Forward: A Fresh Look at Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – Guide
A comprehensive Viewer’s Guide provides suggested activities and discussions based on segments of the video program FAS Forward: A Fresh Look at Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
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FAS Forward: A Fresh Look at Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Ray, Sadie, Naomi and Sindy live with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Day to day they cope with the effects caused by their exposure to alcohol before they were born. These individuals debunk some of the myths surrounding the disease and show how, with the support of people who love and care for them, they are able to lead rich and meaningful lives.
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Windows of Inquiry
This program examines evidence of global change from the aspect of what has been induced by human activities and what is a result of natural process. An explanation of how each of the earth’s ecosystems are tied together reveals why changes in one affects the others. The program also uses evidence of past global change to predict what we can expect in the future.
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Witnessing the Impacts
This program looks at atmospheric and biodiversity change and the global warming phenomenon. We investigate the effects of pollution on various ecosystems and why the Arctic has been affected by pollution from southeast Asia, helping us understand how our local activities may be affecting people on the other side of the world for years to come.
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Committed to Change
The ecological footprint – this is the mark on the earth left behind by each person based on the amount of resources they have consumed. If the strain we put on natural resources continues at the present rate, the earth will no longer be able to support its inhabitants. This program examines possible solutions and asks the question: is it too late?
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Death by Chocolate
Hear intriguing secrets of fine chocolate production from the lips of a Belgian master, then take a “temperance” lesson from a world-class pastry chef. The dessert created is so incredibly beautiful you’ll be forced to suffer endless adulation from your dinner guests. Are you up for it?