Experiencing the Arts sponsors Animation Studio Assembly at Hartford Career and Technology Center

Wreckless Abandon President, Mike Bannon with puppets used in animated features
produced at his Wreckless Abandon Studios in East Granby, CT.

Friday, April 30th, Mascoma High School's Experiencing the Arts program sponsored an assembly at Hartford Career and Technology Center with Wreckless Abandon animation studio president, Mike Bannon. Over two hundred students and faculty attended the program including the students in the Experiencing the Arts program. Mike Bannon showed clips of animation that had been produced at the Wreckless Abandon Studio including familiar commercials such as the Mountain Dew commercials featuring Davey and Goliath, Wireless Zone, Norelco Razors, as well as a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer parody including David Letterman which aired on the Late Show. He also showed behind the scenes looks at the productions and brought some of the puppets used in some of the productions. Mike spoke at length about the wide variety of skills that are needed in a studio like his -- everything from drawing, sculpture, and computer expertise to making the jointed armatures for the puppets with a metal lathe, sales and marketing even psychology and speaking skills. Wreckless Abandon Studios were signed to a multi million dollar advertising campaign with Matel Toys.

Bannon urged the students to take the driver's seat in their own education and be aware of the skill sets they are collecting from the variety of experiences they go through. He asked the students to think of themselves with some objectivity; imagining how an employer might see them. He spoke about always keeping a dream in the back of their minds so these experiences all might contribute toward one day realizing it.

Mike was classmates with Experiencing the Arts Director, Christopher Morse at Plymouth State College where they both studied Art. Morse asked Mike to speak having toured Wreckless Abandon Studios in East Granby, CT . "I was astonished at how many different mediums come together in the production of the clay animation," Morse told the students during his introduction, "Pretty much anything you can learn at the Hartford Career and Technology Center would be needed in a Wreckless Abandon production. We have a good number of Mascoma students who participate each day at Hartford."

Mascoma Valley Regional High School has 54 students at Hartford. "This program was well suited to the Career and Technology center," Morse said, "I contacted Principal Mike Redington (pictured left, Hartford Career and Technology Principal Mike Redington with Wreckless Abandon President, Mike Bannon) and offered them the assembly. He made the arrangements for the use of the auditorium at Hartford High School. I hope this effort strengthens the partnership between Mascoma and the Hartford Career and Technology Center." Principal Mike Redington thanked Morse and Experiencing the Arts for sponsoring the assembly.

Wreckless Abandon President, Mike Bannon with Davey and Goliath puppets
used in Mountain Dew Commercial showing clip from a Wireless Zone commercial (in background).