Haven’t blogged substantively in ages because I’ve been up to my eyeballs in it in Beijing: consulting, speaking, teaching and tai-chi-ing. 
Hope to return to writing soon. In the meantime, there are a few pics here. See if you can figure out what the folks in the third photo down are doing, and how it relates to production. 
(Answers in my next post.)
Ramin Zahed, Editor-in-Chief of Animation Magazine, invited me to write a byline piece sharing my personal insights on the revolution in original Chinese animated content.
That an overzealous young proofreader “corrected” the reference of Russian live-action filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky to Russian animator Genndy Tartakovsky only goes to show the unexpected sources that contemporary Chinese animation directors draw upon.
Kevin Geiger
Beijing
I’m currently en route to Beijing, where I will be resident for the next year. I can only respond to urgent emails as I am able over the next couple of days, but hope to establish high-speed internet access ASAP for Skype calls and video conferences. Cheers!
Kevin Geiger
President & CEO
Animation Options LLC
EMAIL: kevingeiger@animationoptions.com
SKYPE: animationoptions
After meeting with Senate approval, the controversial Orphan Works bill of 2008 has been pronounced “dead on arrival” in the House of Representatives. Appears that Congress has more important things to worry about at the moment, such as the imminent collapse of the U.S. and global economies.
WIRED reports:
Lost in the House of Representatives’ push to pass $700 billion bailout legislation is the so-called Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008.
Late Friday, the Senate passed the measure and sent it to the House, where it landed dead on arrival.
The act changes the rules and reduces and sometimes nullifies damages for infringing uses of so-called “orphaned” works as long as there was a “diligent” effort to locate the copyright owner. Orphaned creative works are those in which the copyright holder cannot be promptly located.
Lobbyists have assured Threat Level that the House, which is mired in trying to broker an economic revival package, won’t take up the measure, at least not until after the November elections.
Dozens of copyright groups opposed the measure, saying it encourages infringement. Copyright expert Lawrence Lessig was against it as well. He said the bill was too vague when it comes to defining how “diligent” of an effort is required to locate a copyright owner before a work is infringed upon.
Digital rights groups like Public Knowledge hailed the measure. The group said “it would restore much needed balance to copyright law.”
To be continued…
