Running concurrent with AFI this weekend is a symposium on concept art and design. It’s called Reverie, and it’s sponsored by ConceptArt.org and Massive Black. It makes sense to hold a training event for folks who want to design characters in movies or work in animation, comics or video games, during a film festival. And last night the two groups got to meet up at a pair of parties.

First up was a show of film concept art at the Reel FX Entertainment studios in Deep Ellum. These were sketches and cells that showed the development of characters in movies like The Incredibles. Stars of the show though were the models used in Coraline. Reel FX’s Brandon Oldenburg said they almost didn’t make it, due to flight delays in Portland, home to Coraline creators LAIKA studios. Oldenburg  met the characters and their keeper at the airport, escorted them back to Reel FX and got them assembled before the end of the party – and in plenty of time for Tuesday’s Texas Avery Animation Award at the Nasher, where Coraline director Henry Selick is being honored.

Closing out the evening, AFI, Massive Black and Reel FX sponsored a much bigger opening night do for Reverie at F.I.G.  DJs, computer speed painting – the first party I’ve been to where half the guests carried sketchpads and camped out on the floor to draw models.  Who knows what future superhero or graphic novel star may have been sketched  last night.