COURTESY OF RICH GURNSEY
Rich Gurnsey's "Welcome to Creepyville" will be featured during the Shorts Screening Extravaganza at filmSPARK during the weekend's SPARKcon.
With creative themes ranging from art to circus, the sixth annual SPARKcon, which began Thursday, has something for nearly everyone.
But for Rich Gurnsey, the event is mostly about filmSPARK. Of course, part of the reason is he's that event's organizer. The graphic designer started contributing to the event in 2009, showing his animated series "Welcome to Creepyville"( welcometocreepyville.com). He produced a new episode of the series for the 2010 edition. When he noticed a call for leadership for this year's event, he stepped up.
"I thought the event had a lot of momentum going, and I wanted to help keep it up," he says.
To that end, Gurnsey has aimed to revive the audience/filmmaker interaction filmSPARK has lost as it has grown. This year, filmmakers will have buttons identifying them and will be acknowledged at Saturday's Shorts Screening Extravaganza. And there will be a gathering at a nearby location for more mingling.
Other highlights over the weekend include:
comedySPARK: New to SPARKcon, it includes a family-friendly improv show at 6:30 tonight at Wachovia Plaza and stand-up showcases tonight through Sunday at various locations.
geekSPARK: A lot of interactive events, including a digital motion showcase that allows visitors to interact with digital art.
wheelSPARK: Skaters, bike riders perform on West Martin Street; gravity racers take over on Sunday.
musicSPARK: This year, all the venues are free.
For more about the weekend's events, go to www.sparkcon.com.
