Brainstorm: the recap

Brainstorm turned out to be a successful event thanks to the all the participants and attendees.

A special thanks goes out to all of the generous event sponsors (see below), the GCOM Club for organizing the event, Pat Crandley, Don Button, the Mac Lab, and our Student Design Awards judges John Forrest / CSU Sacramento, Graphic Design program, Taras Garcia / California Restaurant Association, 2008 Best Print Award Winner, David Jayne / Sacramento News & Review, Darcey Self / Sol Design Group, Jeff Toll / BKWLD.

This year, we had three Show Off competitions that included one for faculty, print design and 3D modeling. The GCOM chair Don Button picked up his second consecutive award in the competition for this version of Tag Yourself (a typographic self portrait). John Conley's poster design inspired by the theme Man vs. Nature was voted the best Show Off print design and Israel Lopez's 3D model of a stapler proved to be the most realistic of the newly introduced category.

The Student Design Awards awarded two bests of the year and a popular choice award voted by Brainstorm attendees. The Animation of the Year Award went to Cody Tibitts for his spiked heart. The Print Design of the Year Award went to John Conley for his book cover design and digital illustration for Timeline. The Popular Choice Award went to Carol Klippstein for her Calendar design and digital illustration.

Other winners of the Student Design Awards include:

Gold
Charles Henderson
Cody Tibbitts
Craig Dutton
John Conley
Peter Duong
Richard Yang

Silver
Amee Phelps
Andrew Clementi
Andrew Clementi, Suzanne Cabral, & Carol Klippstein
Bill Smith
Carol Klippstein
Charles Henderson
Christie Garcia
Deborah Frost
Israel Lopez
Joel Michael Smith
John Conley
Maricela Alvarez
Patrick Moore
Peter Doung
Priscilla Garcia
Rachel Cate
Richard Rennie & Suzanne Cabral
Richard Yang
Spring Salter
Steve Nyholm
Susan Klienhandle
Victor Campos
William Leung

Show Off Sponsors
Wacom Technology
Luxology
Digital Tutors

Award Reception Sponsors
Evan's Kitchen
Palermo Ristorante
California Pizza Kitchen

Printing Sponsors
Blue Moon Printing
The MAC Lab

Raffle Sponsors
Mohawk Fine Papers
Sacramento Music Circus
Rosebud Designs
Sol Design Group
Peach Pit Press
Subway
Raley's Bel Air

It's our annual event so if you didn't make it or were not able to participate, don't fret, we'll be back next spring! If you're interested in helping organize, join the GCOM Club by signing up for GCOM 490 this upcoming semester or email gcomclub@gmail.com for more info.

SHOW OFF!

The GCOM Club is recruiting competitors! Show off your stuff! Win cool prizes!

GCOM's annual "Show Off" Competition calls for 4 competitors go head-to-head in a 30-minute design challenge (competitors will also be given 15 minutes to brainstorm prior to challenge).

In the first competition, students will design a poster using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and/or InDesign followed by the second competition where GCOM instructors will go head to head to design a poster. This year we are introducing a third competition for our 3D students! Students in the first Show Off must have taken (or be be currently enrolled in) at least two of the following: GCOM 313, GCOM 330 and GCOM 340. Students in the 3D Show Off must have taken (or be be currently enrolled in) either GCOM 401 or GCOM 402.

The Show Offs will be featured at Brainstorm: the GCOM Student Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball May 19th at the Sac City Student Center.

Contact the GCOM Club by May 6th if you are interested in participating at gcomclub@gmail.com.

May 19: Brainstorm: The GCOM Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball

GCOM@SCC and the GCOM Club present Brainstorm: the 2008-2009 Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball.

Stop by to view all the award-winning Student Design Competition entries and see which design will pick up "Student Design of the Year" and the "Popular Choice Award" during the Awards Reception. You will hear more about the competition next week so stay tuned.

Brainstorm will also feature an "Iron Chef-like" live design competition in which four students will be challenged to create a design in 30 minutes. There will actually be three different Show-off competitions: one for design, one for 3d modeling and one featuring faculty.

And don't miss out on the Animator's Ball showcasing the best animations from GCOM students and other local animation students.

Date: May 19, 2008
Time: 2-9pm
Location: SCC Student Center

Schedule (may be subject to change):
2pm Welcome
2:30pm 3D Show-off
3:15pm Faculty Show-off
4:00pm Design Show-off
5pm Student Design Awards/Reception
6:30pm Animation Guest speaker
7-9pm Animator's Ball

Contact gcomclub@gmail.com if you would like to participate in the Show-offs. Visit gcomclub.com or animatorsball.com for more info.

GC Club officers, date for Animator's Ball + Student Show anounced

Save the date for this year's end of the year Student Show and Animator's Ball on Tuesday, May 19. It will be the GCOM event of the year and we'll be awarding the best student designs of the 08-09 school year. More details to will be posted on this blog.

Also, congratulations to this semester's new GC Club officers, elected by their GC Club peers.
President: Priscilla Garcia
Vice-president: Chris Hickey
Secretary: Mallory Knight
Treasurer: Nikki Chao

For more info about the show/ball and/or the GC Club, please email gcClubSCC@gmail.com or talk to Don, Pat, Tom or Dre.

Report From The Animators Ball...

We had a Big Orange Ball last night!

They were shiny, bouncy, funny and creepy... the animations, not the balls. We nearly filled the Student Center to capacity with college and high school students, friends and family, and creative professionals.

We ate some great food and watched some truly entertaining student animation reels. 

And we saw and heard an excellent keynote speech from Pixar animator Austin Madison—that's him in the photo hugging his own big orange ball and holding court with a bunch of very excited animation groupies.

We'd like to express our deep gratitude to all the students who participated, as well as ADAC, and Elara Systems and Wirestone, who donated the bucks for the free grub!

Tom has created a quicky photo gallery of shots he took at the event. CLICK HERE TO SEE.

Until next year....

COME TO THE (big orange) BALL!

The Animators Ball 2008 is this Tuesday, May 13th!

TOP 6 REASONS TO ATTEND:

6. It's free!

5. It's right here on campus at the Student Center!

4. It features the 2D and 3D work of SCC, ARC and area high school students!

3. There will be professional members from ADAC there that you can shmooze with!

2. The keynote speaker is Pixar animator Austin Madison!

1. FREE FOOD, FREE FOOD, FREE FOOD! (and beverages!)

6:30 - 9:00... don't miss it, bring your friends, don't be late!

Animator's Ball announced!

GCOM@SCC will be presenting and hosting the first ever Animator's Ball on May 13.

This first-time event will promote and showcase students' work in 2D and 3D animation and dynamic motion graphics. The event is open to Sacramento area Community College and High School students.

The keynote speaker is Pixar animator Austin Madison, a graduate of Sheldon High School in Elk Grove. He will inspire you, dymystify the bouncing ball, and share his true Hollywood story!

This event is also being promoted by ADAC (Sacramento Art Directors & Artists Club) and will be attended by many area creative professionals.

For more information visit the Web site at: www.AnimatorsBall.com