an ANIMATOR in the CITY

Top:Drawing from the film "Masks". Bottom: Enamal on Canvas detail of painting "Configuration #2".

"The City" being New York City, it's a bad habit New Yorkers have of referring to our city at "The City", even when we're in other cities. And "Animator" as in, an independent animator, who works out of the city. One of the things I would like to accomplish with this blog is to give others a glimpse into the life of an independent animator in New York. So allow me to introduce myself, I'm Patrick Smith, my studio is called Blend Films, and it's located in Tribeca, which is way downtown Manhattan. It's a small art studio, just me and an assistant. I make independent animated shorts, as well as other cross-over media art such as paintings and public installations. I love animation, but I'm not the biggest fan of the type of animation that is ingested in mass, supplied by the majors in this industry. I like animation to be a bit more personal, have some gravel in the gut and spit in the eye. On a technical level, I like to see animation with texture and soul. I never think about CG, don't desire to work with those techno puppets. I like to draw, I like to create a real drawing with a pencil on paper. artwork that exists when the power is out, that exists as more than 1's and 0's. I like smudges, I like the bottom of my hand to get graphite on it. So, I'll always try to keep these entries short(neither of us should be doing this, we should be drawing or doing whatever, and that's what i'm off to do right now!) cheers- Pat