Last week, we had the great honor of welcoming Andrew Gordon at work. Currently working on Toy Story 3, Andrew worked on a bunch of  inspiring films such as a Bug’s Life, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, the Incredibles and Ratatouille! He also runs Splinedoctors.com and from time to time, he gives amazing lectures such as the one he gave at Ubisoft last thursday.
I have rarely felt as excited and man was it worth it! I tried my best to absorb as much as I could from the lecture but this stuff never ends and that is what is so fascinating about animation and art in general. We covered a lot of things in one day but who  really ever gets tired of hearing great people like Andrew talk? Certainly not me! So if you ever get a chance of attending a masterclass or a workshop by Mr. Gordon, go for it! It is inspiring!

Thanks Andrew!

Issam Z.

Things are moving fast these days! Last friday, the Tzara gallery in Québec City  held its first official exhibit called “Impulsion” (up from february 27th “til March 20th) and I had the honor to have my work (photographs) presented there. So, if you are in the area and want to see what it all looks like, the gallery is located at 375, rue Saint-Paul, Quebec (phone: 418-692-0330)!

Issam Z.

Something really cool happened this past week!… Some of my photographs were picked to be displayed in an art gallery in Quebec (Galerie Tzara). The opening was January 30th and man it feels good to receive so much positive feedback from people in different walks of life!

Issam Z.

On January 20th (Inauguration day…couldn’t make it back to DC) I went with my colleagues (Ubisoft) to Montreal to attend an acting workshop given by non-other than the great Ed Hooks! We had a blast. This is the second time I have had the chance to meet Ed and it was just amazing. I would really advise anybody who is into animation and/or acting to attend his lectures if you can…There is a lot to be learned from our Shaman friend!

Issam Z.

Hey guys! Happy new year! (a month late! :()

As much as I loved the simplicity of my website, it was just not convenient enough to update it as often as I would have liked…so…I decided to make a new one. It will be much easier to update and it is also a format that will make room for feedback and suggestions. Feel free to stop by and contribute, give your opinion etc…

Below is a quick recap of what I thought were the highlights of this past year for me.

China! A dream come true - January

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CGTalk and AnimationMentor Frontpage! -February

I had the honor of being featued on the frontpage of CGTalk and AnimationMentor! A couple of other blogs also featured my short which is also really cool!

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Got married! + Trips to the Ivory Coast and Morocco! - July

A trip to the motherland never fails to inspire me.

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Who is that?! - July

I painfully walk in front of this guy everyday! (Ubisoft Studios) For those who don’t know, the cheesy smile on the poster is…me.

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AnimationMentor Summer Showcase!!!- July

This past summer’s Animation Mentor Showcase was totally AMAZING! It was an honor to be featured in it! My short Film (Starry Night) made the cut and is somewhere halfway through the video. Congrats to all the talented people who were involved in it.

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ADAPT - September

I had an amazing week at the ADAPT conference (in Montreal)! (Pictured above is Pixar’s own Carlos Baena…great guy!)

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Symhio Project / Renaud Armanet - September

A very cool project I am involved with! Be on the lookout for updates!
Visit the site: http://www.symhio.com

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Voted for Barack Hussein Obama! - November

I Voted for Hope! :)…I hope I won’t be disappointed!

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Trip to Dubai - December

What a beautiful country!

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Issam Z.