November 18, 2006
Kids Chat and Storyboard with Animation Heavyweights at Zeum

Former Disney TM Animators Tom & Pat Sito Bring it Back to Basics for New Generation of Youth

Saturday, November 18, 2-4 pm

3 November 2006-SAN FRANCISCO, CA: In an entertainment era stylized by the latest in computer animation technology, two seasoned masters from the old school of animation confront a new tech-savvy generation of kids and aspiring media pros at Zeum, a hands-on arts and tech museum for kids. In a Zeum Special Guests event on November 18, Former Disney TM animation gurus Tom and Pat Sito talk shop with this CGI-weaned generation of kids and roll up their sleeves in an interactive storyboard workshop.

Zeum's "A Trip through Toontown" Special Guests event will ask questions of animation past, present, and future with Pat and Tom and Pat Sito, a husband and wife team who have worked on such projects as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Fantasia, Beauty & the Beast, and Shrek. At 19, Tom even worked alongside the canonical "Betty Boop" creator, Grim Natwick, who was 87 at the time. Inside players of the dramatic evolution of the Hollywood animation industry, this duo can also be credited with such series classics as "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", "She-Ra, The Princess of Power", and "Ren & Stimpy".

True to Saturday cartoon ceremony, this Zeum Special Guests event will invite kids and parents to bring pillows and blankets into Zeum's 28 feet high round atrium where Tom and Pat will share their experiences and screen highlights from their careers. Participating kids will also get a chance to develop storyboards with the animators in a workshop following the presentation.

"I used to copy cartoon characters out of the newspapers onto memo pads my dad brought home from work," Tom remembers about his childhood, where he grew up as the son of a fireman who never discouraged [him] from wanting to be an artist." Pat-who originally majored in photography and has worked on 20 animated films, points out that, I was always interested in the arts and even though I, myself, don't draw that much, that doesn't mean you can't have a career in animation."

"It's so exciting when kids have the opportunity to interact with industry experts like Tom and Pat Sito" says Zeum CEO, Adrienne Pon. We hope it will inspire our young visitors and drive home the message that you are only limited by your own imagination."

This event comes on the heels of Tom Sito's new book release for Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson (University Press of Kentucky, 2006). In addition to teaching at the University of Southern California and UCLA as Adjunct Professor of Animation, Tom is the president of the largest professional trade union for animation cartoonists in the world-the Hollywood Animation Guild Local 839 IATSE and has been named in Animation Magazine's list of 100 Most Important People in Animation".

"A Trip through Toontown" is part of an ongoing series of Zeum Special Guests events designed to introduce youth to professionals in the fields of digital media and the arts. Past guests have included animator Teresa Drilling from Aardman Animations, LTD and PDI/ Dreamworks^TM, producer Osnat Shurer from Pixar^TM, and artist professor Ken Goldberg from UC Berkeley. These events give a behind-the-scenes peek on how the pros work and typically feature a discussion, Q&A, and workshop.

 

Event Details:

A Trip Through Toontown:
Drawing the Line with Animators Tom & Pat Sito
Saturday, November 18, 2-4 pm
Recommended for Ages 8 and Up

FREE With Same-day admission to Zeum

Kids will learn about the recent history of animation and former Disney^TM animators Tom & Pat Sito will discuss their roles in the industry and screen highlights from their career. Following the presentation, registered families will participate in an exclusive storyboarding workshop. No advanced registration required to attend the presentation. To register for the workshop portion only, please visit www.zeum.org/education/specialGuests.com--available to the first 25 registrants. Zeum is located at 221 Fourth Street @ Howard in downtown San Francisco. General admission school year hours are Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm. Admission prices: $6 youth 4-18; $8 adults; $7 students/seniors; free for Zeum members and children age 3 and younger. For more info, call 415.820.3200 or visit www.zeum.org.

  

About Zeum
Zeum is an innovative arts and technology museum where kids and families combine hands-on experiences with the power of their imaginations to create movies, music, art and more. Zeum's mission is to foster creativity and innovation in young people of all ages and from all backgrounds, communities and learning styles. This is achieved by providing a hands-on, participatory environment for self-expression; by creating opportunities for collaboration among young people, artists, educators, and communities; and by partnering with schools to enhance arts education in the classroom. For more information about Zeum and current programs and exhibits, please visit www.zeum.org or call 415.820.3320.

Note to Press: Print-quality images of the museum and speakers are available upon request.