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Top 10 Best Animated TV Shows From Chuck Sheetz

Christine Griswold January 29, 2017 Animation, Artist Profiles, Career Advice, Student Resources, Visual Arts

Chuck Sheetz knows a thing or two about careers in animation as an Emmy Award-winning Director of The Simpsons and Professor at UCLA Theater Film and Television. These are his picks for the top 10 TV shows he thinks young animators should watch and study. Want more animation career advice from Chuck Sheetz? Check out What do UCLA and The Simpsons Have in Common? Chuck Sheetz.

The Simpsons (1989 to present)

The most important prime time animated show ever, rivaled only by The Flintstones in historical significance. There are those who claim that over the years the show went mainstream and lost its edge. I say that the Simpsons became the mainstream because it successfully moved the center of popular culture to an edgier place. No other show has stayed on the air for so long and managed to maintain the level of quality that the Simpsons has (take that, Meet the Press!)

Fashion Forward – Photographer Jon Wong

Marshall Ayers January 26, 2017 Art, Artist Profiles, Visual Arts

Breaking into the LA fashion photography industry takes hard work and focus but Jon Wong is on the move and taking his career to the next level. His compelling portraits and distinct style make him a stand out in a competitive market.

Where are you from?
Los Angeles, CA. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley.

What type of work do you do?
I’m a portrait and fashion photographer. I love capturing real emotion during a portrait session. As I am coming more into myself as an artist, I’m learning to capture real emotion so that’s what I’m aiming to do. As for the fashion side of it, I want to tell a story with the clothes and have it be a part of the story versus just an accessory.

8 Things I Learned From Singing In Choir

Christine Griswold January 10, 2017 Career Advice, Music, Performing Arts

Classic interview question: What class or academic experience do you think best prepared you for your career/life? Now I’ve had a varied career that’s ranged from post production on feature films, to heading up production at a boutique animation house, to teaching and writing. Yet the answer to the aforementioned question for all of these things is singing in a choir.

1. Responsibility

Joining a choir is like joining any other “team”-everybody counts on you to be prepared and on time, and you need to work the rest of your life around these responsibilities. I’ve sung in choirs since I was in elementary school, and learning this time management skill from such a young age has helped me immeasurably in myriad aspects of my life. Whether it was doing make-up work from missing class while singing in a traveling performance choir in high school, or postponing or foregoing social engagements in order to rehearse or perform, I’ve had lots of practice in learning how to honor a commitment. And this ability has served me well in all aspects of my life.
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10 Questions for Film Producer Gaylyn Fraiche

Andrea Davis December 19, 2016 Career Advice, Film, Getting Started, Performing Arts, Production, Television

Film Producer and Development Executive Gaylyn Fraiche has numerous credits spanning many years with experience that covers making flight reservations (her early years) to cultivating relationships with feature and television writers, making casting and crew decisions and solving on-set problems. She deploys her gracious Southern manners to good effect and is as comfortable chatting with gaffers on set as she is catching up with top tier directors and actors. Gaylyn was generous enough to answer a few questions for me about her career in the film and television industries for Artzray.Read More

Awesome Artist Holiday Gifts From Design Studio Press

Marshall Ayers December 18, 2016 Books, Sponsors, Visual Arts, Writing

Special Artzray Discount Offer – Save 20% on Design Studio Press purchases.

“Our mission is to feature and partner directly with artists.”

If you want to improve your skills and learn about drawing, illustration, concept art, mech, character and transportation design, sci-fi and fantasy – Design Studio Press has it all with over 70 titles to choose from, plus prints and limited editions.

Best of all, Artzray readers receive a 20% discount on books purchased from Design Studio Press if you use our promo code: ARTZRAY

PLUS – Design Studio Press will donate a portion of all sales back to benefit Artzray until January 1, 2017!
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Moving to a New City for Artists

Samantha Jacobs December 13, 2016 Career Advice, Getting Started, How To, Tips

Moving to a new city can be exciting, nerve-wracking, or overwhelming. Or, it can be all of the above. Young artists often want to flock to cities where the art scene is hot, or you may be moving zip codes for school, relocating for work, or starting a new chapter for a change of scenery. Whatever the reason may be, moving gives you the chance to expand your perspective on the world, and to have some adventures. Here’s how to make the most out of your move.

Research Neighborhoods

By: Steve Santore

The Line Art Challenge – Alex Negrea

Marshall Ayers December 10, 2016 Art, Artist Profiles, Concept art, Design, Publishing, Visual Arts

Creativity has no boundaries, geographic or otherwise, which is what the 15 international artists of The Line Art Challenge, set out to prove when they embarked on an artistic feat to each produce 100 sketches in 100 days. Based in 11 different countries, the artists used modern communication methods to share their work and motivate and inspire each other across continents to reach their collective goal of 1,000 traditional sketches. Artist Alex Negrea developed the project and spoke with Artzray about his creative process and background. The Line Art Challenge is published by Design Studio Press a small, boutique publisher based in Los Angeles, CA.

Use our promo code: ARTZRAY and save 20%.

Planning Your Art Portfolio – It’s Never Too Early

Elaine Pelz November 28, 2016 Getting Into College, High School, Student Resources, Visual Arts

Art Portfolio. The words alone sound intimidating. And they should, it’s one of those make or break parts of your college application. So when building yours, make sure it clearly represents your skills, passions, and your singular perspective. To do so requires creating, planning, and research. No pressure. Here’s how to get started:

By: Martin Howard

Pasadena Master Chorale Listens to the Future

Marshall Ayers November 26, 2016 High School, Music, Music Composition, Student Resources

The Pasadena Master Choral e (PMC) recently selected their new student composers for the second year of their innovative Listening to the Future project. Representing a cross section of area high schools, these juniors and seniors include (L. to R.) Elise Logan, Pasadena High, Sean Segal and Olivia Shue, La Canada High, and Tiffany Shi, San Marino (not pictured are Katherine Beggs, Westridge Scghool and Evan Kim, Polytechnic.) Along with the students, pictured far right, is the 2017 composer/mentor Nilo Alcala. Alcala is a Los Angeles-based Filipino composer whose works have been performed in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.Read More