February 18, 2007
An Ah HA Moment
Kat Caverly, New York City 2007
Photo by Thomas Hudson Reeve ©KCE
This year will go down as year we decided to do somehting really BIG!
Our lives are changing and we are flying by the seat of our pants, literally holding on for
the ride of our lives. I don't want to give anything away yet, but I am busting at the seams and
can't wait to spread the news far and wide.
Something big is coming. Something that takes time and everything we got, but I promise
it will be well worth waiting for.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:54 PM
November 26, 2006
Why is This Woman Smiling?
Team NoEvil
Kat Caverly is finally happy to announce that she has won her battle against the street noises
of Hell's Kitchen by installing a WhisperRoom in NoEvil's studio. Yes she has won the sound
isolation battle but the war for the cleanest sound quality has not yet been won.
Acoustics is all about blocking, isolating, and absorbing sound; getting things just the way
you want them to sound and in our case it is called a DRY sound. A make shift sound booth
created by grip stands and sound blankets created a really dry (dead) sound which was great,
but that offered little sound isolation and no sound blocking.
The WhisperRoom offers a great solution for sound isolation and a good bit of sound blocking,
but it isn't sound-proofing. And the surfaces are not very good at sound absorption, so you must
add acoustical foam. How much depends on how much you want to deaden the "reflection" of
sound and inthe case of voiceovers we wanted as much control as possible and a dry, dry
sound. So we are covering the walls, ceiling and even the windows with Auralex Studiofoam.
And we added a sound blanket to the floor.
To isolate the vocal artist and the microphone, we are using an Auralex GRAMMA as a platform,
and a SE Reflexion filter. It is all about the sound and achieving the sound the producer, director,
and sound designer are trying to create.
We added additional sound blankets around the studio; in front of the doors, behind the
engineer's workstation, covering windows, and rack of computers with their noisy hard drives.
All combined gives us an affordable control over our sound.
And that is why this woman is smiling!
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:56 PM
October 17, 2006
Confessions of a Greeting Card Writer
Even ‘sentiments’ have a bad day
If you hang out in Hallmark stores raise your hand. Oh wait, I’m the only one.
Now why would anyone spend more than the normal 10 minutes in Hallmark picking out their birthday cards? Well, if you happen to write greeting cards like I do, it’s not that unusual.
So you might be wondering: “How does one get a job writing cards? What exactly do you do? It can’t be that hard, you’re just saying Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary…”
Believe me, it’s not that easy.
My writing career, if you will, began a year ago. I was taking some time off from school and a friend sent me a job posting. I emailed the woman who’s now my boss and she gave me an application of sorts. I was to come up with 10 “sentiments” – whereby she would know if I knew just what the heck she was talking about.
Within a week, I had signed the contract releasing all rights to my greetings and I was hired. I started out writing 10-15 sentiments a week, assigned to work only on birthday cards. Birthday cards cover a lot of ground, such as Mother, Father, Friend, Aunt, Uncle, Family, etc. The goal when writing for these in categories is to keep them general, so the card can be sent to almost anyone.
Since that first assignment, I’ve gone on to write for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thinking of You, and Valentine’s Day. Coming up with a catchy greeting can be tough some days. Yes, even sentiment writers have a bad day.
As for how it works: Every week I am given my assignment. Birthdays are usually a given, and then we either get to write something tied to whatever the upcoming holiday happens to be. For instance, Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner.
Once I know what I am going to work on I spend time browsing other cards. I poke around Hallmark, or I check out online sites to see what other people are coming up with Sometimes I listen to music. Or I might watch television or a movie to help bring something to mind.
I’ve even developed ideas based on something a friend of mine has said. When it comes down to it, I can get ideas from almost anywhere. Along with coming up with what to write for the cards, I also get to suggest what the graphics might be, the setting, characters, basically what the card will look like. Granted I can’t picture the visuals every time, but it helps to describe the idea so the artists can see what I’m envisioning.
Sometimes writing sentiments can be emotional. For instance, being assigned to write Valentine’s cards when your love life has gone to down the crapper is not a bowl of cherries. (Hmm, maybe I could use that in a card. Or not.) When that happens, you deal with it and think about what you would want someone to say to you, and how that would make you feel.
Most people hate their jobs, but I like mine. I get to make people happy. I am a writer of happiness. Knowing that I am bringing even the smallest amount of joy to someone makes it worthwhile. And being able to see the words you wrote on a finished product is amazing.
So if you happen to see me in Hallmark engrossed by the greeting cards, don’t disturb me, I might be on to something good.
An Essay By LILI ZRIHEN
Lili Zrihen is also a student at ASU at the West campus. To comment on this article, write to westexpress@asu.edu.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:48 AM
June 7, 2006
Happy Birthday, Cindy!
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Today, June 7th, is the birthday of one of the dreamteam members. Artist Cindy McCluskey,
creator of the flying pig birthday card, turns the ripe old age of 24!
This Canadian girl has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Beginning with crayons and the
support of my parents, Cindy expressed herself through art. In high school she was lucky enough to
have very encouraging art teachers -- one in particular who ran an after school art club. After high
school graduation, she attended the NBCC Community College in Miramichi and took
'Animation and Graphics Technology'.
Cindy began digital art in college when one of her peers showed her his Wacom tablet. From there she
was hooked and got her own tablet shortly thereafter.
Her first work with Kat Caverly and No Evil Productions was animation. But it wasn't quite what Cindy
wanted to do. Later in the year, Kat sent Cindy a goofy card with a dog on it, and Cindy replied
"If you ever need any 'monster drawings' give me a call."
Says Cindy, "Heck, I had to try my luck! To my surprise she wrote back with 'Show me your monsters!'
So I sent some along and one caught her eye, a dragon under the bed of a started child. This later
went on to become an animated birthday card that I enjoyed quite a bit."
Now Cindy's really enjoying the work she's been cranking out – painting layouts and creating silly
characters. "It seems every new project I learn some new tricks to speed up or make things look
better than my past works. It's a wonderful learning experience."
Cindy, we hope your silliness, sense of wonder, love of learning and fondness for monsters stays
with you forever! Happy birthday!
Posted by photocartoonist at 4:47 PM | Comments (1)
May 19, 2006
Graduating Class
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Most graduates leave school and begin the long hard trail to finding a job in the field they desire. This is especially so in the areas of the arts, where many grads are unable to make a living in their field of dreams. Many have to take day jobs 'anywhere' in order to pursue their dream careers at night. But on May 19th, our very own Suzanne Jones graduates from New York's New School University with her Bachelors degree concentrated in Film Studies/Screenwriting -- and she already has her day gig in her field working with NoEvil Productions.
Suzanne is one of our Dream Team members, working as both a writer and a voice talent. She writes song lyrics (and sometimes music with Chris Leap, the music maestro), she writes scripts for shorts and ecards, and she also performs character voiceovers as well as sings some of the kooky songs. Suzanne says the voice work is her favorite work, "I am thrilled to do vocal work for the company! It's dream come true!"
A dream cone true for the lady who left her theatre studies at Howard U. in Washington, D.C. to come to New York and work in theatre. And work she has:
"With my twin sister, Stephanie, I perform as "The Jones Twins" -- a spoken-word, cabaret performing duo. Okay, we are performance artists! Not long ago, we did a playwriting fellowship at Bard College through the women's theatre company Voice & Vision. We were named Emerging Artists by Franklin Furnace Performance Archive. We've collaborated on musical theatre work that has been seen at New York’s Public Theatre, the Smithsonian Institute, the Ohio Theatre, as well as music and theatre clubs like Brooklyn's BAM, Irving Plaza, Makor/92nd St. Y, CBGB’s, P.S. 122, Poetry Project, and many more dives in NYC, LA and beyond. I've also done commercial voiceovers and voices/soundtrack work for independent films."
A self-described multi-disciplinary artist, Suzanne made the determination to work in animation as a writer, "with the farfetched hope of also finding a way to be a voice actor as well." Her search for work led her to the Animation World website, and Kat Caverly's ad. All this in April, 2005 -- a year prior to her graduation.
Recently, I sat down with Suzanne and asked her a few questions...
What drew you to this work, to No Evil Productions?
"Well, Kat was the first thing. She’s got so many great ideas; she is an innovator. I've always looked at creative work that way -- you should strive to do something that hasn't been done before. I like to invent new forms -- probably why I have always been drawn to avant-garde/alternative venues. I feel that Kat is exploring new frontiers with the work and the way it is distributed and that is amazing!"
"And personally what draws me to it is the ability to work at home -- essential for me as the single mom of a 6 yr. old girl. And, ultimately, this job is helping me realize my life-long dream of working creatively in the cartoon industry. I'm writing and doing voices and music for cartoons! What could be better?"
I hear that Birthday Birdies is a special project of yours -- tell us about that.
"The Birthday Birdies is a little ecard that we did. It's faux Girl Scouts giving a birthday pledge and Kat wanted me to write their birthday pledge, which I did. The fun part was recording the pledge. There are three voices reciting in unison: me, as the goody two shoes character; Kat as the kooky cut-up; and my little girl, Sasha, as the main voice -- because she is an actual child (as much as Kat and I may want to be!)"
How cute! And how much fun to work with your daughter! Hmmmm... A six
year old daughter, a new college degree, such a long performance resume
-- tell me, how old are you?
"A lady never tells!"
Ah, the old brush off. Another unexpected move, Suzanne. *wink*
"Good to know that no matter what I do, my eccentricity comes through!"
Eccentric, yes, but always a class act.
Congratulations, on your graduation, Suzanne!
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:50 PM
April 27, 2006
Carl Sowerby: True Magician
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Carl Sowerby's always had a passion for drawing -- be it on paper,
cardboard, wood, or Graphics Tablet. He credits falling in love with
animation to viewing a TV program about the Disney Studio during the
"Golden Age" of animation. He was about 12 years old, and "It seemed
like the closest thing to true magic!"
Carl was schooled in his home town, Appleby, then went to colleges in
Cambridge and Carlisle, where he studied English literature, then
Creative Digital Technology. After leaving college he worked as an ad
designer at the local newspaper for 4 years before making the big leap
and going freelance in 2003.
Initially he worked on the BBC children's series BB3B and did some flash
animations for the American Comedy Network. One day at the AWN
(Animation World Network) website, Carl noticed an ad for E-card
designers. He replied, sending samples of his work. Kat, who had
placed the ad, got back in touch very quickly asking for additional
samples showing Carl's personal style and sense of humour. Carl did so
and remembers the reply: "The reply that came back was: 'You made me
laugh Carl'. This was a good sign!"
Carl started working for No Evil Productions in 2005. Since Carl's come
aboard, he's enjoying being a member of the Dream Team. He appreciates
Kat's professionalism, her drive to succeed, and her willingness to
embrace new technology -- be it in terms of the medium, the hardware, or
the software. On a more personal level, he enjoys Kat's interest in
culture. "I can remember various online chats at some ungodly hour
about such things as Spinal Tap, Marcel Marceau, Curb your Enthusiasm
and Asian Cinema."
But his favorite things at No Evil are the flexibility and variety. The
flexibility allows Carl to remain a nightowl, and the variety of
projects keeps things fresh. "Up to now I have animated E-cards,
shorts, and am currently working on a flash game! There is a good sense
of teamwork too - with ideas/opinions being valued at every stage."
Some of Carl's favorite projects are the Martha Stewart ecard and
Subpoena Power, the flash game.
"I like the Martha Stewart ecard because it successfully parodies Martha
- but also because there is humour in the secondary characters too. I
enjoyed diverting the attention with the 2 musicians "Gabble Zindar" and
"Gog Puh". They threaten to steal the animation - much like a
supporting actor will steal a film!"
"Subpoena Power is very exciting because it's actually a game rather
than simply an animation. The interactivity involved opens a whole new
set of possibilities. It's like a 5th dimension. I've been interested in
Flash games for a while - and finally I get the chance to work on one. I
have high hopes for this!"
In 2005 Carl also won a competition to get his work showcased on the 4th
Gorillaz single from the album Demon Days. The single is called ElManana, and he
worked on the video to one of the b-sides on the DVD version.
Thirty-one year old Carl now lives in Carlisle, in the county of Cumbria
(North West England). Probably most famous for being the location of
the Lake District, Carl is spoiled by the very picturesque collection of
lakes and mountains. And his day job -- err, make that night job
isn't bad either. Life is good.
photos © Neil Boothman
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:09 PM | Comments (1)
April 12, 2006
Evil Kangaroos: The Story of Deanna Dahlsad
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Kat asked me to write another profile of a Dream Team member -- and
this time the member is me. Lucky for me, not only am I one of my
favorite subjects, but I am very knowledgable in this area. And so I
give you, "The Story of Me, Deanna Dahlsad, As It Pertains to Kat
Caverly and No Evil Productions."
Do you remember when Donny Osmond sang this?
"When you were born a gypsy said that you
Would be the last of the red hot lovers
The last one of our time."
Well, if a gypsy spoke at my birth, her prediction would likely
have been that I was a red hot communicator.
Exhibit A: When I was a young woman, a psychic told me that one of my
gifts was communication and that my future was in communication. She
also told me that I would move west, which, in moving from Wisconsin to
North Dakota, I have since done. This is all the proof I need of her
predictions and psychic abilities -- or at least all the proof that I am
willing to share with you today. However, if you don't believe in
psychics, let me tell you a story of youthful indiscretion (yes, even
more of an indiscretion than paying to see a psychic).
One night in my early 20's (which is when one ought to make their
youthful indiscretions rather than hear "you're old enough to know
better"), I was out with friends partying heavily. Since this was the
mid-eighties, and video games were all the rage, I happened to be
standing near the coin operated Kangaroo game by Atari. Under the influence,
I was convinced the marquee kangaroo was out to get me. I logically knew this
was impossible. But over-served, I swore the cartoon kangaroo
was not only evil but fully capable of doing me harm. I could have
screamed. Or ducked from the punches I saw. But instead, I turned
calmly towards my group of friends, and asked them to confirm that the
only kangaroo in the bar was indeed the one-dimensional-lighted-game-marquee,
and that therefore I need not do anything other than ignore it. Favorable replies
not only confirmed that my logical brain was 'right', but soothed me. It was
proof that I was not alone with my kangaroo demons. And this taught me
that if I could communicate, if I could be understood and also understand
replies, nothing bad could really happen.
I learned that communication is proof that you are not alone.
That's pretty powerful stuff. I became a true believer in the power of
communication. I even received one of my degrees in Professional
Communications from Alverno College. But more than this, I became
committed to a philosophy of "I communicate, therefore I am."
So, when Kat and I, two active, enthusiastic communicators, met on a
website forum years ago, we hit it off immediately. Early on, Kat
declared her intentions for me to work for her, but my other commitments
at that time made that impossible. Time passed, and life took me on
another path, including away from the internet for a period of time.
When I returned to writing on the internet, in May of 2005, Kat quickly
rediscovered me -- and like Columbus, she quickly declared me as her own.
Making use of my love of and need for 'talking' she put me to work on
this blog. Here I put into text form what the other creative folks have
already expressed in visual and audio form. In other words, I am a
translator of sorts, helping Google and therefore you, the reader, find
what Kat Caverly and No Evil Productions has created. Along with
writing sentiments, this work allows me to celebrate, preach and embrace
the virtues of human expression.
Kat has promised (threatened?) that I will one day be required to work
on other writing needs for No Evil Productions. This is both intriguing
and terrifying. I'd like to consult that psychic or a gypsy about
this. Or perhaps have a drink to calm my nerves -- heck, I'd settle for
a pep-talk from the animated (yet potentially evil) Atari kangaroo!
But if that day arrives, and I am asked to collaborate more with the
other creative communicators on the team, I'll just turn calmly to them
and discuss my anxieties. I'm sure I'll find that my fears of such
projects are as founded as my fears of that punching kangaroo.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:38 PM
March 29, 2006
NoEvil Productions Achieves a New Level
By THOMAS HUDSON REEVE
Kickback Mountain achieves a new level of accomplishment for the Dreamteam.
It’s good. It really is, thanks to everyone.
The creativity of the team coordinated very well. The artists each added something
uniquely their own, but it all works so well together. And yet we are around the world
from one another! Amazing!
Although every teamster didn’t leave actual fingerprints on Kickback, everybody shares
in the success or failure of our ambition to create work of the highest quality, and all
our work has been steadily improving. This is not only gratifying; it is the key to our
chance for success.
We don’t have an uncle who owns a network, or a friend in publishing, but we
actually have some talent.
We feel that if we make good use of the web it is conceivable that works of quality
and integrity will have a chance to rise into view, find an audience, and lead to
new opportunities. However, since this option is open to absolutely everyone,
only our best can avoid being overwhelmed by the sea of amateur mediocrity.
The main thing we do is make e-greeting cards.
It is creative work, and there has been enough of a market – thanks to Kat – for us to
get this far.
However a greeting card is a limited form. It is a friendly salutation from me to you. It’s
pretty simple and although we can stretch it, the requirements confine the possibilities;
it must always return to the one and only conclusion – Happy Birthday (or whatever) to you.
So what can we do besides e-cards? What topic is worth the attention of our brilliant team?
Political satire and social commentary is the answer.
One reason is that it opens up all the possibilities of narrative storytelling – it can be more
fun, but the most important reason is that the 2006 U.S. elections are crucial in America’s
effort to begin to change the course of our Federal government. If the Democrats can make
significant gains in Congress we may still be able to rein in an Executive Branch that is
galloping head long down the wrong road. The citizens of this great country must wake-up.
They must reaffirm that this is a democratic republic by electing honest representatives.
They must flush the corruption from the halls of power before it is too late, before
the republic is completely subverted.
If we can make people laugh and think about the stupidity, deceit and hypocrisy –
it is a disgrace! - we will be defending the principals that are the true foundation of the
country: The Rule of Law, a government “Of the people, by the people, and for the people”.
It is a time honored American tradition. Blogs and the Internet can be like the Colonial
pamphleteers (Thomas Paine most famously) who printed small handbills criticizing and
satirizing the rule of King George III and passed them around among the common citizens.
The NoEvil logo depicts the fabled 3 monkeys known for diligently eschewing evil. But our
monkeys, rather than covering up, hold the tools of communication. The monkeys of legend
are meant to warn against participation in evil, but they are sometimes taken to recommend
a life of willful ignorance. This is incorrect, I believe, but an understandable conclusion in a
confusing world where there is seldom a crisp line between good and evil.
(That’s why they invented sports).
These Monkeys do not participate in evil they participate in Good. They look, they listen,
they speak – just not evil.
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:58 AM
March 4, 2006
The Guy in the Back with the Glockenspiel
Before there was the a Dream Team per se, there was Kat with a dream and
Team Tommy. Team Tommy consisted of Thomas Hudson Reeve, Kat's husband
-- and I'm guessing plenty of tablets with 'to do' lists.
Tom first met Kat when she had left the commercial and fashion studios
of Chicago for New York. The year was 1981, and Tom remembers meeting
Kat: "She was getting her toehold on the isle of Manhattan in the
traditional way, working at a Restaurant."
He began helping Kat with photography for her paper greeting cards. At
first her photo greeting cards were all her own shots, but later she
developed card designs that featured photographs of herself as some
character, especially Shirley, and so at that point she enlisted Tom to
be her photographer.
Tom himself had studied theater, photography and filmmaking and began a
career in the film business where he has been for nearly 30 years. It's
been 30 years of learning everything he can, looking over everybody's
shoulder to see why they do what they do, preparing for that 'some day'
when he could make his own movies.
D. W. Griffith, the first great movie director, said "A painter needs
only a canvas and brush, but a motion picture needs an army", which is a
great quote, but I find Tom's account of film making more enlightening:
"As with any endeavor as complex as professional film production there
are hundreds of people for every one big name. Like a symphony
orchestra, a film crew has many artists, players and workers who all
contribute, but only in concert. If you are lucky enough to find a part
to play in big film production, you will also find that you must
specialize and dedicate yourself to that part. You will be smack-dab in
the middle of it all yet paradoxically distant from the dream of making
a movie that had started you down that garden path so many years
before. Mozart wrote it, Bernstein conducts, and the guy in the back
with the glockenspiel? That's me. But if the dream persists in you as
it has in me, you will never be completely satisfied to just settle in
to the specialty and leave it at that."
So as Tom works 60 hour weeks on the Big Show, learning all he can, Kat
works at building The Dream Team, "creating the opportunity for us to do
what you can't do by yourself: make a movie." And just because there is
a Dream Team, this doesn't mean that Team Tommy is without his 'to do'
lists -- Kat keeps crackin' the whip, err, making sure he's kept busy
writing scenes and dialogue. Tom's not complaining, "Even if it's a
'Concerto for spoons and kazoo' and not the full orchestra, it means a
lot to create something from your own thoughts for a change."
Tom's favorite project is always the last one he wrote, except at this
moment his favorite is one that he had little to do with: The Hip Hop
Happy Birthday card. This card is also a classic example of the team
effort or orchestra Tom described earlier.
"The card is the product of a give and take between Suzanne and Chris,
which then switched on Anders imagination with great results. Kat gave
some guidance, I may have nodded with approval once or twice, but those
guys inspired each other and the whole was greater than the sum of the
parts."
So here's to Team Tommy, the guy in the back with the glockenspiel,
assisted by the rest of The Dream Team, all working on concert to create
'Concerto for spoons and kazoo' -- sure to be shown at a theatre near
you in the not too distant future.
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Posted by photocartoonist at 7:27 PM
December 15, 2005
The Newest Member of Team NoEvil
Aatman Soni
Male
Born: Dec. 3, 4:07pm
7 pounds
Proud parents: Nayan Soni and Shefali Nayan
Baby Aatman and Papaji Nayan both agree; they are both speechless!
Mommy wrote a beautiful poem:
As I wait for a tiny blink,
A shining sparkle in your eye
As I wait for your little hand
that Grabs my finger in your fist
As I wait for your little feet..
That can still not feel the earth
As I wait to see that streak of smile..
And move your tiny lips
As I wait to hear you squeak and cry…
I already weave for you,
Little wonders that life has for you,
Little treasures that will open for you
And lots of love from me that will surround you.
©NoEvil Productions
God bless this beautiful family,
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:08 AM | Comments (1)
December 1, 2005
Innocence and Playfulness: Shefali Nayan
Opening today December 1, 2005 the Hacienda Gallery in Mumbai, India is proud
to present Stirring Quartet featuring the works of our very own Shefali Soni.
This is an exhibit of four alumni of the noted Faculty if Fine Arts, MS University,
in Baroda, India. Jasmine Shah Varma, Mumbai-based writer and independent curator,
writes about Shefali"s work:
"Innocence and playfulness are abundant in Shefali’s renditions. The childlike and
naive quality of her paintings are balanced with proficient compositions and skillful
handling of paint..."
Shefali Nayan lets childlike wonder and a bold sense of color guide her work. My favorite
subjects are her animals and before the show even opened today the Cow and Cat paintings
were already sold to collectors.
The show continues through December 10, 2005.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:37 PM | Comments (3)
November 15, 2005
A Special Marriage; A Special Talent
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Shefali Nayan was born 30 years ago in Ahmedabad, India. She fondly
recalls being raised in Ahmedabad, "I was surrounded by art and music
since I was a kid. I have been encouraged by a wonderful family that
has imbibed and created an aura of positive energy for me."
With this wonderful support, Shefali persued her education, earning a
Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) with Painting as specialization. Shefali met
Kat Caverly via her husband, Nayan, and began work here in 2004, about
one year after Nayan.
Now a fine art illustrator and painter, Shefali creates the
characters and backgrounds and her husband animates them.
Shefali loves the ability to be imaginative and creative while working
on her illustrations. And she is happy to know that her art is
appreciated. She states that her work with Kat Caverly allows her to be
more creative, both in terms of moods and characters.
When asked about her favorite projects, Shefali said "Each concept, each
character, each piece of music and all that they emote are so distinct
and nice in their own way, that in some sense they could all be my
favorites!" Since Shefali won't name her favorites, I'll tell you that
one of our most popular ecards is Queen For A Day, which is by Shefali and Nayan. And my
personal favorite by this husband and wife team is the lovely Joyous.
Shefali said that she is drawn to this work by her "urge for experience and
creation of the world and surroundings and also a sense of sharing my
aesthetic experience with like minded souls."
So it would seem that working for No Evil Productions is another perfect
marriage for Shefali.
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:11 AM
November 3, 2005
The Giggling Worm
Anders Worm was born in Denmark near Roskilde which, according to him,
is a known for 3 things:
1) The annual music festival (originally inspired by Woodstock)
2) The Viking ship museum (lots of sunken Viking ships in the fjord of
Roskilde)
3) The (protestant)church where the Kingdoms kings and queens have been
buried since ...well, since the Viking age...
Anders claims that between royal burials, every 30 year or so, "nothing
really happens." So he went to The National Filmschool of Denmark, and
became an Animation Director. After school, Anders worked in the
pre-digital animation industry. In December, 2004, he contacted Kat to
show her his portfolio. Several giggling, multiple-hour
telephone conversations with Kat later, Anders joined the company.
He is now 32, and lives in Stockholm, Sweden with his son and girlfriend.
Anders lists Alien Birthday and Granny Birthday as his favorite
projects. When I asked him how he made his selections, it came down to
how long & hard he giggled about them.
When you think about it, it makes sense: That's how he chose this
job.
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:52 PM
September 30, 2005
The Music Man
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Chris Leap thinks having a verb for a surname is a nightmare. I think
it's perfectly descriptive for one who jumps so enthusiastically into
things...
Thirty-two years ago Englishman Chris Leap was born, but it took
receiving a gift to make Chris spring to life.
"As a kid, the first birthday present I remember was a tape recorder.
Recording burps hehe. Since then, it's been all music, technology,
synths and PCs." says Chris.
After discovering sound with his tape recorder, Chris was bound for
performing arts school. He dove into the lifestyle, studying music, and
recording. He loved it so much that after graduating he hopped to
another art school to get another degree in music technology. But then
it was time to soar - Chris began touring with bands.
Touring he experienced "depravity, mindless abandon, rock n roll" which
likely set the stage for his working on the internet...
Chris posted music samples to the web, including work under the user
name of "Dog." In December, 2003, Dog received an email from Kat. Kat
was Kat Caverly, who wanted to know who the composer of one of the music
samples was. Dog wrote back, and Chris eventually made a leap of faith,
coming to work for No Evil Productions. Now, Dog & Kat make more than
beautiful burp noises together.
It seems to me, Leap is a rather good name for the head of the No Evil
Productions music department, for he leaps into action - and hasn't
missed yet.
(Unless you count one fall off a pier trying to impress a girl in
Portugal, but we don't dwell on that unless it's a slow day at the
office...)
Chris' favorite projects:
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:45 AM
September 28, 2005
"I am over 30, love cats and any kind of design jobs."
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
No, that's not Kat Caverly herself speaking, it's No Evil Productions
Dream Team member Sai Ming Yiu. He could be saying this to flatter his
boss, but after nearly 5 years and over 100 brochures, print ads,
catalogues, and greeting cards (including roughly 30 animations), we
don't think Sai Ming's in any danger of losing his job.
Sai Ming Yiu is from Hong Kong. He's studied 3d animation and graphic
design at the School of Visual Arts in New York and British Arts College
and has worked as a graphic designer in Hong Kong. He met Kat Caverly in
October 2000 after graduating with a degree in computer arts.
When asked to discuss his coming to work for Katakismet, Sai Ming said
"I was looking for some graphic design job and we talked on the phone
for over 15 minutes."
(I know he must be lying about the length of time – people who
accidentally make 'wrong number' calls to Kat Caverly are on the phone
longer than that!)
Sai Ming continued "We have a lot in common; we both love cats and Hong
Kong actor Jackie Chan."
It's no wonder then, that Sai Ming is behind the development of Smuggly
the duck and his cousin Quacki.
Along with Smuggly and Quacki, Pearl the Puffer Fish is one of his favorite projects.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:42 PM
September 21, 2005
Creativity: A River Runs To It
A look at Nayan Soni, one of the members of No Evil Productions Dream Team
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Nayan was born on 18th July 1974 in an Jabalpur, India, a town famous
for it's river, the Narmada. He credits the river for much of his
inspiration, saying “(It's) free-flowing water taught me how to be
spontaneous in my life and my work.”
Like a river, Nayan has a physical source as well. He was blessed to be
born into a family of artists and musicians. His grandfather was a music
professor teaching the sitar. Both his grandfather and father we painters.
Young Nayan used to accompany his father on trips where his father would
paint landscapes in watercolors and Nayan remembers “that is where I got
my first "taste" of colors.”
Nayan graduated with a degree in Fine arts, with a specialization in
Painting. His post graduate work was in Visual Communication with
Animation Film Making as a specialization.
He believes destiny and humor are what led him to Kat Caverly's website,
The Photocartoonist, and credits the free-flowing spontaneity of his
river for inspiring him to contact her. He sent her an email with
samples of his work and on January 2, 2003, he officially joined the
team with this first assignment from Kat Caverly:
“I am working on a script that will feature a purple stegosaurus. I
loved dinosaurs when I was a kid and I want to create unusual
characters. This stegosaurus is a hopeless romantic and HE is purple."
On Jan. 23, 2003 Steggie was born.
Since then it's been smooth sailing for Nayan. As a member of No Evil
Productions he has done 150 animations. While Nayan cannot name any
favorites, saying all of them have the same amount of labor & love put
into them, users have made the following Nayan's most popular designs:
Feliz Cumpleaños
Happy Burp Day
Birthday Blast
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:28 PM