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Weird Technology on the Big Screen - Austin, Texas
Entry posted on Apr 30 by MasonDixon

Motion Graphics Festival 2009
New Motion + New Sound + New Code
Austin, Texas :: May 11-22
http://www.MGFest.com

Austin is known for being home of the weird and the city of ideas, but how do we attract strange innovations? Well, Austin supports Indy Artists and Alternative Cultures throughout the year, but specifically, this month the Austin Motion Graphics Festival brings independent culture creators to the big screen. From filmmakers to musicians, MGFest unites artists across the divides of genre and medium to celebrate the weird, imaginative and other-worldly visions that use the technology of sequential images and the illusion of motion.

The studies of motion design, sound design and interactivity, are featured during the weeks of May 11th through 22nd. The apex of festival activity takes place during May 14 through 17 with entertainment events across the city, including: an art showcase with the Austin Museum Of Digital Art (AMODA), studio tours at top Austin design companies, screenings of local and international motion artists, a full-day educational conference, an open collaboration summit, and two weeks of industry workshops on creative software by Microsoft, Maxon, Adobe, Ableton and the local innovative Livid Instruments.

This year's Austin Motion Graphics Festival begins May 11th, 2009 featuring internationally recognized artists including: Shepard Fairey, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Kanye West, Addictive TV, Digital Kitchen, The Mill, Passion Pictures, Animal Logic, Post Panic, Dvein, David Lobser, Ken Adams, Yoshi Sodeoka, Larry Carlson, Jen Stark, Bob Sabiston, Sandy Stone, Paul Baker, Gift Culture, Artificial Life Preserver and more.

This festival in the fast moving field of design technology has opened it's Art & Entertainment events for only $7. Rather than charging the typical $500-$1500 conference fee, the Motion Graphics Festival encourages participants to stop complaining about the economy, and spend their money on something that will upgrade their tools, technique and aesthetics. Software, DVDs and music will be available at a discount rate throughout the festival week.

Austin MGFest presented by Microsoft Expression Studio 2.

Additional MGFest Sponsors include: Maxon, Austin Museum of Digital Art, IdN, Livid Instruments, Lumenbrite Training, Lumen Eclipse, SXSW Interactive, Stash DVD Magazine, Create Digital Motion, All City Technology, Future Media Concepts, DigiEffects, VidVox, Sterling Ledet, Boris FX, Resolume, Toolfarm, UnScene, GarageCUBE, Lift Motion Design, RE:Vision Effects, Ableton, Wondertouch & Clif Bar.

Silent Auction for over $30,000 in software, DVDs and training materials.

.: MGFest Schedule + Registration :: http://www.MGFest.com

MGFest Releases NASA'S "MONEY"!
Entry posted on Apr 18 by MasonDixon

See Co-Director of "Money," Paul Griswold, speak at the Chicago Motion Design Conference.

http://MGFest.com/09/Chicago/screenings/paulgriswold.php

Director/animators Syd Garon and Paul Griswold, recently co-directed a music video for the band NASA (North America South America). The song, titled Money, features Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe winning singer/songwriter David Byrne and Chuck D, leader of the rap group Public Enemy. The music video features artwork by contemporary artist and designer Shepard Fairey, who recently gained national notoriety for his design of the Barack Obama “Hope” campaign poster.

:: A History of Tomorrow's Interfaces :: a talk by Mason Dixon
Entry posted on Feb 09 by MasonDixon

The Chicago Convergence just published Motion Graphics Festival Director, Mason Dixon's presentation on the Future of User Interface Design.

http://chicagonewmediasummit.ning.com/video/future-in-motion-a-history-of

Free online account signup required.

and while your there, join the Motion Graphics group:

http://chicagonewmediasummit.ning.com/group/motiongraphics

MGFest Update: 6 Workshops Added: Adobe 3D, Maxon, Processing, Final Cut Server, Digital Sound &...
Entry posted on Jan 08 by MasonDixon

http://mgfest.com/09/Chicago/workshops.php

Tuesday, Jan 20th
Adobe 3D with Photoshop & After Effects
Presented by Mason Dixon @ Columbia College
 
Wednesday, Jan 21st
Maxon Cinema 4D R11 + Mograph
@ Columbia College
 
Field Audio and Introduction to Digital Sound
Presented by Alan Strathman @ SAIC
 
Saturday, Jan 24th
Introduction to Digidesign's ProTools
Andrew Twiss, Harold Washington College
 
Post-production Workflows with Final Cut Server
Kevin Shea @ MacSpecialist
 
Visual Programming with Processing
Peter Kirn @ Columbia College

http://mgfest.com/09/Chicago/workshops.php

VIDEO KILLS THE RADIO STAR, AGAIN
Entry posted on Jan 05 by MasonDixon

From the Rolling Stone playing at Soldier Field to the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies, video projection has become a touchstone for live performances. Chicago has long been a live music capital in the nation, and as the cost of video projectors fall, the business of music is changing.

“Video can now be ‘played’ just like a musical instrument can be played,” explains Mason Dixon, founder of the Chicago Motion Graphics Festival, “the lights made for live concerts now project full-motion video, and live music performance software like Ableton Live now sports video capabilities.”

The 2009 Motion Graphics Festival’s will showcase the “Video Band” at it’s Audio Visual Performance Showcase at the Chicago Cultural Center on January 25th from 6:30pm to 9pm. The showcase features some of the worlds best talent in this new mode of performance, such as Stoptime 341 (http://Stoptime341.com), the Chicago-based, touring video artist for the internationally acclaimed DJ Tiesto, and MFChicago the video artists behind Lollapalooza’s video accompaniment.

“What’s really interesting to see now, is how new visual genres will form. How will the video that plays with a rock band be different than what is played with a country band?” Mason theorizes.

The technology behind video for bands has launched a number of online communities such as Create Digital Motion (http://CreateDigitalMotion.com) and VJ Forums (http://VJForums.com), new software companies like VidVox (http://VidVox.net) and Ableton (http://www.ableton.com), and even special stock footage sites such as VJ Loops (http://www.vjloops.tv).

The Motion Graphics Festival runs from Monday, January 19th to Sunday January 25th in various locations across downtown Chicago. Up to the minute information can be found at www.MGFest.com.

Only in Chicago: The Legendary $7 Festival of 2009
Entry posted on Dec 22 by MasonDixon

With MacWorld recently announcing they are closing their doors for good and Midway Games laying of 150 full-time employees… the recession of 2009 is beginning to infect the minds of the creative industry with decreasing budgets and bottom lines.

However, there is still cheery news for the holidays; the Chicago Motion Graphics Festival (a 7-day conference in the fast moving field of design technology) has opened it’s Conference, Screenings, Studio Tours and Art Showcases for only $7. Rather than charging the typical $500-$1500 conference fee, the Chicago Motion Graphics Festival encourages participants to spend their money on new books, DVDs and software that are offered at a discount rate during the conference.

“Rather than buying an experience,” comments Mason Dixon, co-director of the festival’s sixth year, “we want people to commit to upgrading their skills, aesthetics and software, all the while getting totally inspired by some amazing motion design artists and technologists.”

The festival’s “Motion Market” offers attendees significant discounts on DVD collections of audio/video art and Motion Graphics work, technical training books, workshops, video hardware and software upgrades. Plus over $10,000 in free software will be given away as door prizes. All events require an RSVP on the MGFest website, which also grants access to several online-only events that occur during the festival week.

While Chicago is home to the Motion Graphics Festival, this year MGFest tours to four other cities nationally. In 2009, MGFest will visit Cambridge, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia and Washington DC.

“Chicago is, and always will be, the heart of MGFest. It is the launch and the conclusion; it’s always the biggest event, and sets the tone for the rest of the year. Why else would it be in January” Mason explains. The festival kicks-off on January 20-25, 2009.

About the Motion Graphics Festival

In its 6th year, MGFest stands as the premier US event showcasing creative motion picture design. The festival presents a year-long, regionally focused program of events. The MGFest09 Tour focuses on motion design, sound design, and film & video technology by hosting: art showcases, exhibits, workshops, classes, panel discussions, studio tours, theater screenings and industry mixers.

For more information, visit the Festival web site at www.MGFest.com

Festival Sponsors include: The Chicago Convergence, Columbia College, Stash DVD Magazine, Maxon, Toolfarm, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Bridges Media Group, Lift Motion Design, Future Media Concepts, Create Digital Motion, DigiEffects, Livid Instruments, Resolume, Boris FX, All City Technology, Lumen Eclipse, Sterling Ledet, VidVox, SXSW Interactive, Mac Specialist, Ableton, Harold Washington College, UnScene, and Clif Bar.

CHICAGO FILM AND TECH CONVERGE
Entry posted on Dec 16 by MasonDixon

(Chicago, IL, December 15, 2008) – The “city of Big Shoulders” is about to assert business leadership again, as a center for technology. Coming up this January, the 2009 Chicago Motion Graphics Festival and the Chicago Convergence produces seven days of events about the mergers of technology, entertainment, advertising, media, and more.

“The frontier of motion pictures has shifted from films and television towards ipods, computer games and personal technology,” said Mason Dixon, founder of the six-year-old festival. “If you look at film as just being Hollywood, then of course California and New York have a lot to offer, but when you include games, music, advertising and Internet technology, Chicago really outshines other cities.” 

Earlier this year, The Chicago Convergence, began its efforts to pioneer Chicago as the New Media Capital, presenting the 2016 Olympics as the New Media Olympics, and Chicago as the best home for it.  The Chicago Convergence will be run a day of panels and presentations as the Technology portion of the Chicago Motion Graphics Festival in 2009.

“Chicago had the ‘Chicago School of Television’, and led the way in network radio and data transmission. Chicago continues to play a leading role amid a seismic shift in entertainment options.  This festival is an essential part of the town’s leadership in this field,” said Dixon.

Computer based games have overtaken conventional movies in revenue and sales, and Chicago is home to 3 of the 10 largest advertising companies in the world, Leo Burnett, DraftFCB and DDB. Many claim Obama’s online efforts played a significant role in his campaigns fund-raising and Get Out The Vote operations.  The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau for the first time integrated live video projection and new media elements into their annual Burnham Bash by working with the audio/visual event engineers known as Psymbolic. After Obama’s election, one of the Tourism Bureau’s newest ventures, ExploreChicago.org, will be expecting a lot of new visitors.

The Chicago Motion Graphics Festival runs from Monday, January 20th to Sunday January 25th in various locations across downtown Chicago.

Chicago Convergence
http://ChicagoConvergence.com

Chicago Motion Graphics Festival
http://MGFest.com

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