mari jaye blanchard

So after a crazy month of 190-mile road races and marathon art installs, I am back on track  working on my  animation.   The FOX contest ends in one more week, and currently "Beckner" has  page 4 status for most-viewed which isn't half bad.  Haven't heard from P.F. in a while, but as far as I know I'm supposed to start on his film this winter.  We shall see...Speaking of see...if you want to see the work Jason and I just installed in Princeton (where the above tiger now lives) go to "commercial murals" and head to the end of the slideshow.

 

FOX is holding a contest amongst animators to see who might be the next addition to their animated family.  My friend Matt and I are working on our 4-minute "pilot" which we will be submitting by August...and then you- yes you, will get to vote on which short wins the prize(s)!  We are quite excited about this project, so don't be surprised if, even in the event of a loss, you see  more episodes appearing on mjb.com.

When Nickelodeon contacted me a few weeks ago, suggesting I enter a character design contest, I thought it would be a fun and fairly simple task.  Oh, no.  Perhaps it's because I haven't been four in twenty five years, but I found myself entirely stumped as to what would appeal to a pre-K pipsqueak.  Add to that the fact that a quick Google search revealed any ideas I thought I had were either already shows or the shows I grew up watching.  After staring at a blank page for the better part of a night, I pulled myself out of the running.

One week after the deadline, Nickelodeon contacts me again, wondering where my submission might be.  Loathe to disappoint, I sat down once more, this time armed with a page of notes from a brainstorming session with my future sister-in-law, a  first grade teacher.  Here's what I cooked up...

I know, I know...is it really news if I keep saying the same thing?  But listen...much has happened since I last posted "news".  I was dropped from the film, then I got it back, and now I'm pretty much slated to begin in the fall of 2009 (with random fill-in animations if Paul needs them in the meantime).  Yes, this is still not guaranteed, but really, what is these days?  Until then, TJ's is keeping me busy...and I am at peace with that...for today. :>)

So whilst I await the final verdict regarding Paul Fierlinger's project, I've been toiling away on a medical animation for a team of young entrepreneurs.  Paul says that any day now we will know for sure about his budget,  but until then,  here's a teeny taste of what's been happening on the animation front:

So the NYFA card went out yesterday...so far it seems it's been received well :>)

I've been in discussions with the great Paul Fierlinger, who has just wrapped up his animated film "My Dog Tulip" based on the novel by J.R.Ackerly.  There is a possibility that I'll be helping out with his next feature film.  It's still very up in the air, but it would be an amazing opportunity...perhaps my pastry-painting days are numbered?