The festival was a blast and everyone was so hospitable and nice. Truly a great time! You can see a bunch of pictures of my adventures at TAAFI at this link.
One of the highlight of the festival for me, was seeing Nick Diliberto's feature film, Nova Seed. Quite simply, it blew my mind! An astonishing work of art done singlehandedly over a period of four years.
I had contacted Nick after seeing the trailer, 7 months ago, to tell him how much I was looking forward to the film. When I heard it was having its world premiere at TAAFI I was elated. To make the experience even more sublime, I unknowingly sat right next to Nick in the theater. He somehow recognized me and we enthusiastically started chatting about our passion for animation. After the screening, I was in awe of his accomplishment and told him how much he inspires me.
Nova Seed is totally up my alley in terms of subject matter and filmmaking style. Nick is a force to be reckonned with and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he does next. Here's the trailer for the film, which is currently in the process of looking for a distribution deal:
On Monday, I started work on a new Spider-Man feature which I'm extremelly stoked about. This commitment will take me all the way to September 2018 (The film is scheduled for a December 21st, 2018 release) which means that The Saga of Rex feature film will have to be pushed back once again. It makes me a bit sad, however, how could I pass working as Visual Effects Stylist for a film Sony describes as, “It’s a vision of Spider-Man that will take your breath away. Conceptually and visually, it will break new ground for the superhero genre,"?
After meeting the crew and being pitched the movie in Los Angeles, last March, I just knew right then and there that I had to be part of it.
Being under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), I obviously can't reveal anything about the production, but when things become public, I'll make sure to share them here. In the meantime, you can check out this latest article about the film.
During my Spider-Man stint, I will take a 8-month hiatus to work on yet another very exciting feature project. I was able to work out a gap in my schedule with Sony that will allow me to do both features. I'm truly excited about both projects and will reveal the title of this second feature in the coming months.
If you are interested in attending my 3-hour workshop in Toronto on April 22nd, make sure you use the promo code TAAFIspeaker when you buy your pass in order to get 15% off. Click here for more details.
Animator Michel Gagné will focus on the core elements of effects animation and its relation to motion pictures and video games. By providing a sense of what makes quality effects design, this workshop will explore the possibilities of integrating 2D, hand-drawn special effects within 3D CG projects.
Michel will review past works and discuss how it is vital to remain “cutting edge.” He will talk about what it means to be an integral part of a production while working remotely. He will explore the use of new technology, and provide a look at the capabilities for going beyond generic particles, while creating signature effects that are unique and memorable.
A couple of years ago, we (Gearbox and I) promised Toon Boom that we'd do a showcase reel demonstrating how we used the software in the game. Three weeks ago, I licensed a song and started putting that reel together. This week, I bounced back and forth with Gearbox marketing to finalize the reel. And now, it's finally public. Hope you enjoy it!
One of the highlight of the festival for me, was seeing Nick Diliberto's feature film, Nova Seed. Quite simply, it blew my mind! An astonishing work of art done singlehandedly over a period of four years. 
