By Sherri Rambo – Contributor
The annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival is not just a chance for film fans see some amazing shorts, it’s a chance for filmmakers to hone their craft.
Each year the festival offers workshops for all levels of attendees. This year’s schedule includes two days of workshops. The first set of workshops is scheduled for Thursday Feb. 9 and will focus on animation. The highlights include a keynote by Mark Seppala, a Sanford artist and Walt Disney World’s former general manager for character merchandise.
There will also be a screening of select shorts in multiple genres by UCF students. The animation workshops are sponsored by the University of Central Florida’s College of Arts and Humanities.
“Whether you are familiar with animation techniques or not, the workshops are a great way to broaden your horizons,” said Justin Stephens, a film enthusiast.
A second day of workshops is planned for Saturday Feb. 11 and is designed specifically for middle and high school students. It is sponsored by Florida Hospital Fish Memorial. The workshop will feature demonstrations and Q&A sessions with people in the film business.
“The workshop is the best place to see the nitty-gritties of what it takes to get your craft from in your head, to on a screen. This is a budding industry, and for younger people, it is the ideal way to experience the technology and skills they will be using in their future creative works,” said Will Malpardita, who is studying animation.
All workshops will take place, at Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce, 400 E. 1st St., Sanford. While attendance is free for the workshops, it is recommended to make a reservation at LoveYourShorts.com
If you love films and think you may want to be a filmmaker, take this chance to learn about the business right here, in our eclectic, and beautiful Historic Sanford!
Below are the events and times so that you can plan a trip that most suits you, and your interests:
THURSDAY, FEB. 9
WORKSHOPS ON ANIMATION & SCREENING OF STUDENT FILMS
SPONSORED BY UCF’S COLLEGE OF ARTS & HUMANITIES
– MORNING (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce, 400 E. 1st St., Sanford
9 a.m. – “Animation Adaptions to the Digital Age”
10 a.m. – “Careers in Animation”
Two panel discussions with veteran filmmakers and film educators will be led by Lisa Mills, a University of Central Florida associate professor of film.
-Afternoon
11:30 a.m. – “My Life in Animation”
Mark Seppala, a Sanford artist and Walt Disney World’s former general manager for character merchandise, will discuss his life in the field of merchandise design and animation. A graduate of the New England School of Art and Design, he majored in animation and advertising design. His dream from childhood was to work for Disney, which he did for 25 years before retiring from the company about three years ago. He continues to do contract work for Disney and has a studio at the Gallery on First in Sanford.
-EVENING (7 – 9 p.m.)
A selection of shorts in various genres by UCF Film students will be shown at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, 201 S. Magnolia Ave.
SATURDAY, FEB. 11
FILMMAKING WORKSHOP FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
SPONSORED BY FLORIDA HOSPITAL FISH MEMORIAL
12:30-2:30 p.m. – “What to Expect on the Set”
Demonstrations and Q&A sessions with people in the film business who will talk about acting, green screens, makeup, blocking, and other necessities of working on a film set. This session facilitated by Digital Brew creative services also will be in the Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce, 400 E. 1st St. The workshop will follow the festival’s E for Everyone block of films that starts at 10:30 a.m.
Sanford, Fla. 