stan winston festival project summary

7/29/2019 Stan Winston Festival Project Summary

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!Project!Overview!and!Purpose!!

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The!Stan!Winston!Arts!Festival!of!the!Moving!Creature!is!an!initiative!of!the!Fabrication!

Facilities!of!the!Departments!of!Drama!and!Studio!Art,!and!the!Architecture!School!at!the!

University!of!Virginia.!Based!in!the!Jeffersonian!ideals!of!interdisciplinary!research!and!

innovation,!The!Stan!Winston!Festival!of!the!Moving!Creature!draws!from!a!wide!variety!of!

subjects!and!research!from!across!Grounds!and!beyond!to!bring!students!a!singularly!unique!

experience!in!a!yearlong!designIbuild!of!larger!than!life!moving!creatures.!!For!the!first!time,!

the!Arts!Grounds!shops!and!fabrication!facilities!are!working!together!on!a!curricular!project!to!

promote!full!scale!building!opportunities!and!the!collective!use!of!the!shops'!resources!and!

knowledge,!which!will!begin!to!support!all!of!Arts!Grounds!in!a!Shops!Consortium!that!can!

better!serve!the!university's!academic!and!creative!mission.!!

The!project!is!spearheaded!by!Melissa!Goldman,!the!Fabrication!Facilities!Manager!of!

the!School!of!Architecture,!Steve!Warner,!a!Lecturer!and!Technical!Director!in!the!Department!

of!Drama,!and!Eric!Schmidt,!the!Gallery!and!Studio!Technician!in!the!Department!of!Studio!Art.!

Melissa,!Steve,!and!Eric!thought!up!the!project!proposal!and!now!teach!the!Creatures!course!

and!oversee!all!the!lectures!and!builds.!These!project!leaders!are!aided!in!the!production!and!

publication!of!Festival!events!by!Molly!Joyce,!a!4th!year!Arts!Administration!Student!at!the!

University.!!!

Melissa,!an!architectural!and!scenic!designer,!has!developed!a!passion!for!design!at!all!

scales,!a!penchant!for!developing!digital!and!analog!fabrication!techniques,!and!an!obsession!for!large!moveable!objects!that!challenge!the!scale!of!the!built!cityscape.!!As!the!Fabrication!

Facilities!Manager,!Melissa!oversees!three!shops!at!the!Architecture!School!that!integrate!new!

and!traditional!building!techniques!and!has!taught!seminars!on!design,!fabrication,!and!

material!development!in!the!Department!of!Architecture.!!Melissa!graduated!with!her!Masters!

of!Architecture!from!the!Columbia!Graduate!School!of!Architecture,!Planning,!and!Preservation,!

and!she!has!worked!in!New!York!and!Cambridge,!MA!as!a!scenic!and!puppet!designer.!!She!won!

a!grant!to!study!the!puppets!of!the!Royal!de!Luxe!and!Les!Machines!de!lile!as!part!of!her!

research!on!machines,!spectacle,!public!space,!and!the!scale!of!the!city.!

Steve,!as!a!lecturer!and!Technical!Director!for!the!Drama!Department!at!U.Va.,!!has!

overseen!the!successful!build!of!over!50!stage!productions!and!the!renovation!of!the!Culbreth!

Theaters!rigging!and!stage!floor!system.!As!Technical!Director,!Steve!supervises!students!

producing!shows!for!both!UVAs,!Drama!Department!and!the!Heritage!Theatre!Festival.!He!

came!to!the!University!of!Virginia!from!Las!Vegas!where!he!worked!with!the!internationally!

renowned!entertainment!company!Cirque!du!Soleil.!!Having!held!management!positions!for!"O"!

at!The!Bellagio!Hotel!and!Casino,!Cirque!du!Soleils!Resident!Shows!Division,!and!KA!at!the!

MGM!Grand!Hotel!and!Casino,!he!gathered!an!inIdepth!knowledge!of!production!management.!!

Additional!credits!include!Ringling!Brothers!and!Barnum!and!Bailey,!Utah!Shakespeare!Festival,!


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The!Alley!Theater,!and!the!Texas!Shakespeare!Festival!in!roles!such!as!Technical!Director,!

Carpenter,!Welder,!and!Operations!Manager.!Steven!graduated!from!the!University!of!

Delaware!with!a!Master!of!Fine!Arts!degree.!!!!!

Eric!joined!the!U.Va.!Art!Department!in!2001!as!the!Department!Tech!and!is!

responsible!for!the!updating!of!the!wood!and!metal!shop!equipment,!creating!and!maintaining!

the!departments!safety!website,!managing!graduate!shop!monitors,!and!training!students!in!the!use!of!all!shop!tools.!!For!the!rest!of!the!studio!department,!Eric!has!been!responsible!for!

various!tasks,!among!them!the!construction!and!installation!of!displays!for!the!Ruffin!Hall!art!

gallery!and!overseeing!the!build!of!gigantic!puppets!of!Jefferson!and!Poe!for!a!performance!on!

the!Lawn.!Eric!is!a!UNCIChapel!Hill!graduate!with!a!BFA!concentrating!in!painting.!He!has!

worked!in!the!commercial!sign!business!creating!a!wide!variety!of!signs!and!displays.!!Working!

in!the!industry!for!8!years,!Eric!attained!a!wealth!of!knowledge!for!creating!commercial!art!

with!hand!lettering,!pictorial!painting,!logo!design,!metal!and!wood!fabrication,!and!running!a!

CNC!router!for!multiIdimensional!signs.!!

! ! Molly,!a!4th!year!interdisciplinary!major!with!a!focus!in!Arts!Administration,!is!interested!

in!event!management!and!production.!She!is!involved!in!groups!around!Grounds!such!as!the!

Elmaleh!Gallery!Board!and!Delta!Delta!Delta!sorority.!She!has!experience!in!event!production!

through!both!organizations!as!the!Vice!President!of!Public!Relations!for!Delta!Delta!Delta!and!

the!former!logistics!chairman!of!the!Elmaleh!Gallery!Board.!Additionally,!she!is!an!intern!for!

Starr!Hill!Brewing!Company!and!has!particular!skills!in!event!production!through!her!work!

there.!She!will!be!using!her!involvement!in!the!Festival!as!the!basis!for!her!4th!year!thesis.!!

!!!

! From!giant!urban!mechanical!puppets!to!windIdriven,!beachcombing!beasts,!moving!

creatures!are!a!mix!of!joyful!spectacle,!precise!engineering,!fearless!experimentation,!and!

resourceful!fabrication!techniques.!The!proposed!project!is!an!interdisciplinary!endeavor!consisting!of!two!parts.!!

! The!first!is!a!set!of!U.Va.!courses!crossIlisted!in!the!Departments!of!Architecture!(ARCH!5500),!

Drama!(DRAM!7690I002!and!4598I004),!and!Studio!Art!(ARTS!2580).!The!first!course,!entitled!

Creatures!!engaged!University!students!this!fall!in!collaborative!workshops!to!research,!to!

design,!and!to!construct!moving!creatures.!t!focused!on!research,!design,!and!engineering!of!

the!creatures!through!material!studies,!fabrication!tests,!and!fullIscale!prototypes.!The!class!

was!held!twice!a!week.!One!day!of!the!week!typically!consisted!of!a!lecture!while!the!other!day!

was!a!handsIon!workshop,!in!one!of!the!Arts!Grounds!Shops,!concentrating!on!learning!tools!

and!techniques!in!design!and!making.!The!second!installment!of!the!course,!Creature!,!will!

further!the!design!and!fully!realize!the!final!creatures!in!fullIscale!over!the!course!of!the!spring!semester.!

! The!classes!not!only!allow!for!a!unique!study!experience!and!crossIpollination!of!the!arts!

disciplines!throughout!U.Va.!but!stretch!far!beyond!that!into!real!world!experience.!Students!

are!given!the!opportunity!to!work!with!visiting!HollywoodIbased!artists!from!The!Stan!Winston!

School!of!Character!Arts,!in!three!weekIlong!workshops!throughout!the!year.!!


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! Stan!Winston!was!one!of!UVa's!most!successful!arts!alumni,!having!graduated!from!

Studio!Art!in!1968!he!became!one!of!Hollywood's!greatest!masters!of!creature!design!and!

fabrication.!!His!studio!designed!the!creatures!for!"Jurassic!Park,"!"Aliens,"!"Predator,"!"Iron!

Man,"!and!"Avatar,"!to!name!just!a!few.!!After!Stan's!passing!four!years!ago,!his!son!Matt!

Winston!started!an!online!school!for!the!Hollywood!masters!of!effects!to!give!tutorials!in!the!

art!of!making!creatures.!!The!Winston!family!has!generously!donated!subscriptions!of!these!videos!to!each!student,!and!Matt!has!set!up!three!visits!to!UVa!with!Hollywood!artists.!!!

! The!first!visit,!in!midSeptember,!was!run!by!creature!mechanist,!Peter!Clarke,!and!

Oscarnominee!and!Legacy!Effects!cofounder,!Shane!Mahan,!who!helped!students!to!develop!

six!prototype!creatures!that!performed!in!a!Creature!Bash,!to!a!public!audience,!at!the!

Architecture!School.!During!the!November!workshop,!the!students!successfully!completed!one!

fullscale!moving!creature,!aptly!named,!Winston,!with!the!help!of!Special!Effects!and!Makeup!

Effects!experts!Shannon!Shea!and!Ted!Haines.!The!students!then!paraded!the!creature!around!

Grounds!gathering!a!large!public!following!along!the!way.!!

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! The!third!and!final!workshop!will!take!place!in!February,!under!the!guidance!of!

Animatronic!Creature!Effects!Mechanic,!Richard!Landon,!and!Creature!Effects!Fabricator,!Bill!

Bryan,!and!will!also!incorporate!a!public!element.!!

! The!second!component!of!the!project!is!the!culmination!of!the!classes!in!the!Stan!

Winston!Festival!of!the!Moving!Creature,!to!be!held!on!April!20,!2013.!At!this!spring!arts!festival!

the!creatures!built!by!the!students!will!come!to!life!and!be!presented!to!the!public!in!a!Creature!

Parade.!The!Festival!will!also!include!an!interactive!afternoon!of!lectures,!Q&A!sessions,!food,!

live!music,!and!dance!performances,!celebrating!the!arts!on!grounds!and!in!the!community.!We!


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have!recently!sent!out!a!Call!for!Entries!(see!attached)!in!order!to!give!other!groups!on!Grounds!

the!opportunity!to!perform,!exhibit,!and!showcase!their!work!during!the!Festival.!

! Through!work!in!the!shops!and!lectures!by!visiting!professors,!our!objective!is!to!introduce!

students!to!a!wide!variety!of!tools!and!skills!from!analog!to!digital!fabrication,!biomechanical!

analysis!to!animatronics,!sketching!to!modeling!to!prototyping.!!Through!this!project,!the!

students!not!only!bring!their!individual!skills!and!studies!to!the!table,!but!also!tap!into!a!wealth!

of!knowledge!beyond!their!departments!and!further!their!interests,!push!their!design!

sensibilities,!boost!their!skills!in!making!and!thinking!through!making,!and!foster!connections!to!

other!disciplines!that!will!help!them!in!their!future!careers.!!

! The!core!of!this!research!endeavor!and!design!build!process!is!innovation!and!collaboration!

amongst!the!arts!disciplines!for!the!pursuit!of!new!knowledge,!tools,!and!techniques.!!The!class!

at!the!center!of!the!Festival!directly!engages!and!fosters!this!new!knowledge!through!designing!

and!building,!and!the!Festival!will!promote!the!work!done!at!Arts!Grounds!to!the!larger!

University!community!as!well!as!to!a!national!audience.!!!

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!Stan%Winston%School%of%Character%Arts%Visiting%Artists%%

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Matt%Winston,!son!of!Stan!Winston,!is!the!Co/FounderOwner!of!Stan!Winston!School!of!Character!

Arts!(SWSCA)!and!also!a!well/known!Hollywood!actor.!Matt!is!with!us!for!all!workshops!and!the!

Creature!Festival!in!April.!Matt!will!bring!his!immediate!family,!his!mother,!Karen,!and!his!sisters!

family!with!him!to!the!Final!Festival!in!April.!!!!

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John%Ales!is!a!Creative!ProducerDirector!of!Photography!at!Stan!Winston!School!of!Character!Arts.!

John!joined!us!for!the!first!time!at!U.Va.!for!the!second!workshop!in!November.!He!will!be!here!in!

February!for!the!third!workshop!and!again!with!his!family!in!April!for!the!final!Festival.!!

%Shane%Mahan!is!an!Academy!Award!nominated!Animatronic!and!Special!Effects!Makeup!Character!

Creator.!He!has!been!a!Supervisor!at!Stan!Winston!Studios!for!25!years!and!he!is!a!Co/Founder!of!

Legacy!Effects.!!Shane!facilitated!the!first!workshop!in!September!and!hopes!to!return!to!U.Va.!in!April!

for!the!Creature!Festival.!!

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Peter%Weir%Clarke!is!a!Creature!Effects!Mechanic,!Sculptor!and!teacher!at!The!Art!Institute!of!

California.!Peter!helped!conduct!the!first!workshop!in!September!and!hopes!to!return!to!U.Va.!in!April!

for!the!Creature!Festival.!!

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Shannon%Shea!is!a!Special!Effects!Character!Creator!&!Monster!Maker!and!a!Character!Creation!

supervisor!at!Stan!Winston!Studio,!KNB!EFX!Group!&!Cinovation!Studios.!!Shannon!conducted!the!

second!workshop!in!November!and!hopes!to!return!to!U.Va.!in!April!for!the!Creature!Festival.!!

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Ted%Haines%is!a!Special!Effects!and!Makeup!artists!at!Legacy!Effects.!Ted!conducted!the!second!

workshop!in!November!and!hopes!to!return!to!U.Va.!in!April!for!the!Creature!Festival.!!

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Richard%Landon%is!an!Animatronic!Character!Effects!Mechanic!for!Legacy!Effects!and!a!Stan!Winston!

Studio!"Lifer."!Richard!will!join!us!in!February!for!the!third!and!final!workshop!and!hopes!to!join!us!

again!in!April!for!the!Creature!Festival.!%

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Billy%Bryan%is!a!Creature!Effects!Fabricator,!Sculptor,!and!Prosthetic!and!Makeup!Effects!Artist.!Billy!will!join!us!in!February!for!the!third!and!final!workshop!and!hopes!to!return!again!in!April!for!the!Creature!

Festival.!!!


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!!

!!Overview'of'Fall'Semester'Events'

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Thursday,'November'8,'2012'!

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' Creature'Video'Shoot/'Parade'Around'Grounds''!

! 6:30!pm!|!Grounds!

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The!University!and!Charlottesville!communities!were!invited!to!join!the!creature!class!and!visiting!artists!

as!they!filmed!a!short!video!of!the!creature!parading!around!Grounds.!!

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Wednesday,'November'7,'2012'!

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' Workshop'Open'House'!

! 7:308:30!pm!|!Drama!Studio!

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The!University!and!Charlottesville!communities!were!invited!to!visit!the!Drama!Studio!to!observe!the!

students!and!artists!constructing!the!creature!during!the!second!workshop.!!

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Friday,'November'2,'2012'!

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' Creature'Appearance'at'the'screening'of'the'Oscar'winning'film'Aliens!

! 8:00!pm!!|!!U.Va.!Amphitheater!!

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Students!from!the!creature!class!displayed!their!work!outside!of!Old!Cabell!Hall!before!the!Virginia!Film!

Festival!screening!of!Aliens.!!!

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Friday,'September'28,'2012'!

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' Creatures'at'the'TomTom'Founders'Festival'McGuffey'Block'Party''

' 5:00!8:00!pm!|!McGuffey!Art!Center!

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Students!and!professors!from!the!creature!!class!brought!their!inflatable!creatures!Downtown.!!

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Thursday,'September'13,'2012'!

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' Lecture'on'the'Concept'of'the'Moving'Creature!

! by!Matt!Winston,!Shane!Mahan!&!Peter!Clarke!

! 6:30!!7:30!pm!|!Campbell!153,!School!of!Architecture!

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' Creature'Bash!!! 7:30!!9:30!pm!|!North!Terrace!

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Over!150!people!came!out!to!the!North!Terrace!to!see!the!creatures!!

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Tuesday,'September'11,'2012'/'Wednesday,'September'12,'2012''

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' First'Workshop'

' All!Day!!|!!Drama!Studio!!

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Students!worked!long!hours!over!the!course!of!three!days!to!put!together!6!prototype!creatures.!!!

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THE STAN WINSTON FESTIVAL OF THE MOVING CREATURE

University of Virginia Arts Grounds +

Calling all artists and architects, designers and dancers, composers and

engineers, and all sculptors of clay, bone, landscape, and the written word.

The University of Virginia proudly presents The Stan Winston Arts Festival of the

Moving Creature on Arts Grounds on April 20, 2013! The Festival is calling for entries that

will showcase student, faculty, and staff work from across Grounds that foster a discussion

about creatures, spectacle, the built and natural environments, and creative material and

building processes at all scales. This is a family friendly event which will draw audiences

and participants from across the University, the Charlottesville/Albemarle community, and

the United States.

We are looking for projects that address the creation, home, life cycle, or movement ofcreatures, and we encourage projects to have an interactive component and are open to

interdisciplinary discussion. The format of the project could be a performance, a concert, an

exhibit, a lecture, a screening, a reading, or an installation. While we are not providing

funding, each project selected will be given space and time on Arts Grounds to perform,

exhibit, lecture, or screen during the Festival. We will assist with technical needs of a projects

set up and clean up and do promotion for all events, though all participants are encouraged

to invite their fans of all sorts. We have a variety of spaces, and some will be available

April 18 and 19for performances as well.

At the heart of the Festival is The Parade of the Moving Creatures which will showcasethe work of a full year interdisciplinary class hosted by the Fabrication Facilities of the UVa

Departments of Drama and Studio Art and the UVa School of Architecture and

partnering with the Stan Winston School of Character Arts in LA. Funded by an Arts in

Action Grantfrom the Vice Provost of the Arts Office, the UVa Parents Committee, the Stan

Winston Fund for Studio Art, and the Winston family, the class has researched and designed

moving creatures that have already begun to feature on Grounds this Fall, and will be built in

full scale in the Spring. The Parade will kick off the days activities, and bring audiences to the

other projects hosted on Arts Grounds.

The proposals for this Call for Entries will be selected by a committee of the Festivaldirectors and artists from the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. We encourage any

member of the UVa community to apply with new work, works in progress, or past research.

If you would like to volunteer for the Festival, please contact Molly Joyce at

[email protected].

For more information about the Festival, visitwww.virginia.edu/arts/creatures or check us

out on Facebook at The Stan Winston Arts Festival of the Moving Creature at UVA.


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Please provide the following information:

1. Project Title2. Brief biography of the Collaborators (indicate student/faculty/staff)3. Briefly describe the project you envision. How does it fit into the discussion of

creature and spectacle? Who will be involved? What would a performancebe like? Who is your audience?

4.What kinds of needs would you have for your performance? (Please include spaceneeds, practice needs, storage needs, technical requirements, performance time,

etc.)

Important Dates:

Final Deadline for Entry Proposals: January 20, 2013

We will have a rolling admission for proposals so that Spring class or group projects can be

considered ahead of the beginning of the semester.

Festival Dates: Saturday, April 20, 2013

April 18 + 19 can be made available based on the project

Submit Proposals or Questions (via email) to:

Melissa Goldman

[email protected]

This Festival is directed bySteven Warner, Lecturer and Technical Director of the

Department of Drama, Eric Schmidt, Studio and Gallery Technician of the McIntireDepartment of Art, and Melissa Goldman, the Fabrication Facilities Manager

of the School of Architecture.

The Creatures are coming


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Recent Media Coverage

Creatures at College

https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/stan-winston-school-at-university-of-virginia

Stan Winston School of Character Arts Blog, December 1, 2012, by Molly Joyce

UVA students team up with Hollywood designers for first ever creature course

http://www.c-ville.com/uva-students-team-up-with-hollywood-designers-for-fist-ever-creature-course/#.ULUnjK536Sp

The C-Ville, November 13, 2012, by Laura Ingles

UVa Students Create and Parade Creature Around Grounds

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/UVa-Students-Create-and-Parade-Creature-Around-Grounds-178042711.html

Newsplex.com, November 8, 2012

U.Va Students and Hollywood Artists Bring Creatures To Lifehttp://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-students-and-hollywood-artists-bring-creatures-lifeUVA Today, September 18, 2012, by Lisa Kessler

Monster Mash

http://uvamagazine.org/only_online/article/monster_mash#.UNIOD6X_ja7

UVA Magazine, October 16, 2012, by Erin OHare

U.Va. Students Learn Character Art from Hollywood

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/UVa-Students-Learn-Character-Art-From-Hollywood-169725956.html

Newsplex.com, September 13, 2012

Creatures Come to Life on U.Va. Campus

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_4cc6dc7d-ac93-5509-8302-708c68c7b7cc.htmlDaily Progress, September 11, 2012, by Ted Strong

stan winston festival project summary

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