Labeouf New Film

This is my latest short Labeouf, a stopmotion animation about a goblin called Norman stuck down a hole. The name came from Shia Labeouf as his Just do it green screen video was going around at the time. I wanted subtler name than Just do it so thought this would be a fun name. The puppet is made with a wire armature and painted with latex, the set is made from MDF wood, recycled and found objects. The budget was zero so everything used was either self funded, found or donated. The film was worked on part time for about a year, stopping when other projects were on. 

The story is about a goblin (called Norman) who is stuck down a hole, but he's to distracted to escape. It's also about the endless possibilities available to us all to shape our future, to seize the moment but we're so distracted with social media, boxsets and video games etc that these opportunities are slowly fading with darker more sinister times ahead. 

Social Media is represented by the bucket, through colours, sounds and the idea that we can fill Facebook with our lives. I didn't want to use a blue book as it seemed too obvious. Boxsets are represented via the blue crystals, ie Breaking Bad as everyone seems so obsessed with wasting time watching it. Gaming is represented with the cork painted like a Pikachu. The sky darkening is time running out, in life, for the planet and the human race, through age, pollution, segregation and war. The longer we wait to act the smaller the opportunity we have to affect change in our own lives and on the world around us.

The film began life as a showreel piece but once it had been made I decided to turn it into a short animation. It was a good experience making the short and I learnt a lot, there's lots of things I'd do differently in future but as it is I've finished working on it. Specifically make the puppet larger with a more expressive face, improve the sky animation (oil on glass) and reshoot a couple of shots. I'd rate it at a 2.5 out of 5.

Explainer Video Blades Animation

Here is the new advert for Blades Animation. I am going to produce a making of blog to accompany how the video was made. Though for now I am going to post the video please let me know what you think.

Richard :)

          

What I'm doing!

Hi so first a couple of quick recommendations go and watch both the Lego movie and Dallas Buyers club, I watched them last week and they are both great. If you can only see one then watch the Lego movie, a great piece of animation! 

This week has been fairly productive I am finally nearly finished with the new advert for my website the only element to complete is the voice over recording. It currently has a scratch track of me reading the script. A process I totally hated even though I was the only person in the studio I still felt very self conscious about recording my voice. Once the voice over has been added I will do a final cut of the advert hopefully shaving about 10 seconds. Then it will be uploaded to the website. The advert is likely to be online March 21st. On the same day the website is due to have a minor facelift. Mostly just an updating of the banner and a few of the other photos in use.

I have additionally began working on a second video for the website that will help explain the price of animation. Its not uncommon for me to be asked how much for some animation like its a packet of crisps. I've regularly been asked how much for some animation a bit like toy story but a couple of minutes long. Unfortunately it is not that easy to give an answer to that. For those wondering things to consider when pricing up an animation I work out how long it will take me to complete, this is affected by how complicated the animation is, materials, how long the finished product will be, style, do I need additional people ie actors, musicians etc. Lots to consider so the more specific someone is when asking the more accurate the quote will be, Its actually better to say how big your budget is then I can work out a project that will fall within it. 

Part of the process of making a piece of animation is scripting, story boarding and sound. Although these have different titles they are all part of the same process. When coming up with an idea I work through a sketch book making notes and thumb nails, from here I'll make a list of things that will happen then go between scripting and story boarding. Normally story boarding before scripting but the process goes back and fourth between these parts. When writing the script I might think of a better idea and will then update the story board, so lots changes at this stage. I story board on post-it notes and then lay them all out on the wall to begin to get an idea of how it will look. At this stage its really easy to change parts around by rearranging the pictures. 

Once I am happy with these parts I record a scratch track of the script. This is me standing with my microphone recording all the voices. As noted earlier this isn't my most favourite part but its essential. During this stage the script is likely to change again. I record every part as written though whats written doesnt always sound as good when spoken so lots of changes will occur at this stage. When recording I can see the script and the story board so have a good idea of what Im doing. 

Once recorded I scan the story board and import all the sound into final cut to edit together an animatic. This is the story board and sound cut together to allow me to see the timings and get a better idea of how the finished short will look with out having to animate. It is the best opportunity to look at it and decide if it is any good and wether or not it is even worth making. 

Yesterday I finished the animatic and felt reasonably happy with it, then when watching it again this morning changed my mind. Today has seen me reworking the whole thing, its been completely re story boarded, the sound that I recored previously is fine though I've trimmed chunks off. The problem was visually it was just flat and slow. Below is the completed storyboard. I plan on animating it in the last couple of weeks of March, aiming to get it online by the middle of April. 

Finally below is a photo said i'd add ages ago of a set and puppet I've made although forgot about. The puppet is complete to how I'd like him though there still some work to do on the set. I'm still a long way off animating this as its not a priority project its just a bit of fun on the side.

Okay thats enough!

Rich

Birmingham Screen Image Network and Networking

This is actually a big answer I gave to some questions regarding the Birmingham Screen Image Network that I attend once a month at Millennium Point. It took me a while to write it but hopefully it will be useful and interesting.

Here are the questions-

What makes a good network?

Why do you go?

And what do you want from a network?

And here is my Answer-

I've attended all sorts of different networking sessions for both creatives and business people, in lots of different venues. I enjoy the BSIN sessions as they are regular, the venue is good and it is easy to find out who is there, what they do and then I can decide who I want to talk to. Rather than the scatter gun approach which occasionally happens at larger sessions.

I think the venue is very important, the worst venues for myself have been bars and pubs. I find the main problem with these is they are to noisy due to loud music and are often being shared with members of the public making them unnecessarily crowded. I found that people end up getting hammered and it just seems pointless talking to some of them as they're totally incoherent.

A venue should have features that provide opportunities for conversation. A drinks station is always good. If I run out of people to talk to and cant see any open groups then I normally get a glass of water and engage the next person to come over to the drinks table. When food is provided finger food works best especially with tall tables that you have to stand at. As you can remain mobile and easily start up a conversation with a new group/table. I think it would be good to put spikes on the walls as it can be to easy for attendees to hide at the side and this would force them into the middle of the room.

Recently I've been attending sessions that have art, interactives, prototypes, puzzles and other assorted conversation props that are great for facilitating networking.

Another style of networking I've enjoyed is speed networking. You all sit in two rows facing one another and have about 60 seconds each to talk, swap cards and move on when the whistle blows. When the speed networking has finished everyone carries on with regular networking but now you know who everyone is and can carry on promising conversations.

Finally the most important thing for me is the people. I preferably want a good mix of creatives, animators, film makers, artists, sound people, writers, photographers, actors etc and preferably some business people, different entrepreneurs who are interested in the skills on offer by the creatives. Most importantly the attendees have to have a good attitude ie polite, friendly and be prepared to try to make conversation.

I go to BSIN each month for a variety of reasons. I enjoy the structure, each person introduces themselves, who they are, then news is shared and interesting debates normally arise. Although the attendances are low there is normally a couple of new faces each month. I have made some useful contacts, I get to hear of news, events and different opportunities coming up.

I think it would be good bring the Screen and Music networks into the same room for the last 20mins to further share news, info, leads etc

When paired with the free dinner and creative networks events after its a really enjoyable and useful way to spend an afternoon.

I also go to support the network and hopefully support the creative scene in Birmingham by attending. Attendances are low which is disappointing, although I wouldn't want the groups to have massive, if it could get up to 15/20 each week that would be great. The only way the group will grow is by people continuing to attend, talking and promoting the meet ups.

Hi

Yesterday I finally finished and uploaded the an animated logo for Blades Animation to stick in front of our films. I intended to finish it much sooner but its been so hot in the studio over the summer that the shoot repeatedly got delayed. Check it out below!

I have already began working on our next project a short explainer video to show off the benefits of using animation and the services we offer.

Richard :)

Update

Hi

This is quick update on what I've been up to.

Most recently I've been updating the Blades Animation showreel, the ancient Cwmbran animation has been added and there is a new piece of animation at both the start and end of the showreel using the Blades Animation Mascot (who is still nameless so if you have any suggestions please leave it in the comments). Please check it out below.

This afternoon I began work on a new armature that I aim to be animating with during July. The puppet is the main character for the multi platform series we have been developing for the last few years. The actual series is still a long way off from being ready but I am keen to experiment with some ideas for the character. I figure it will be a good way to try out some new armature ideas and begin establishing the character and world he inhabits.

Here is something I have been consistently going to since the start of the year its really good. The Birmingham Screen image network is on the last thursday of each month and is normally followed by creative networks all at Millennium point. The first half is a networking event for film makers and sound people. Then there is a free diner and it finishes with some kind of talk of visiting speaker. During the summer months it is just going to be the networking but it is still a must attend for any one out there interested in a career in film or animation.

Here are some things to check out. Number one is this cool scifi/philosophy blog cleverly titled Sci-Phi I've been reading by the talented writer Sarah Brown who you can follow on twitter

Number two is the new project by John-Lynton Bryan the creator of The Collector, a short I animated on a couple of years ago. It is a comic/film called Dream Staite heres the link http://www.dreamstaite-movie.com/.

Thats it for now!

Rich

Lots happening!

Its been a hectic start to the year with lots of news and things going on. First of all the biggest news to report is Blades Animation is relocating. We are currently based in the George Street Chambers in Birmingham. Today I picked up the keys to the new studio located in The Big Peg, I have started moving and hope to be fully moved in by the end of next week. 

The decision to move was made early in January due to a number of issues but the largest being the floor. The current studio has a wooden floor and some of the panels aren't as sturdy as needed. This was causing problems with camera movement while animating, obviously not good. This meant the majority of January was taken up with searching Birmingham for a new studio location. I have looked at numerous places around Birmingham. Here is a list of the places I looked at.

The Custard Factory

The Bond

Venture Way

Faraday Wharf

The Argent Centre

Gun Quarter workshops

It was really difficult to find studios that were appropriate. A lot of time was spent walking around Birmingham looking for different letting agencies or online searching. There's a mountain of office space to let in Birmingham but not so much geared towards creatives. All of the above would be ideal for creatives to varying degrees. In a future blog I will write about each of these locations in greater detail for others who may be looking for their own studio space. 

In between searching for a new home we have focused a lot on networking and making connections with other businesses and film makers around the Midlands. One big problem for Birmingham is theres a huge amount of talented animators and film makers but the scene is very disconnected. There are different  groups but none of them have links to one another and getting to know other film makers has proved to be a slow experience. By different groups I mean things like the Meet up events, animation forum WM, Creative England, Shooters Club etc. The amount of people at the events varies greatly and people aren't always aware of the existence of other groups or film makers etc. Its only through my recent use of Event Bright that I've found lots of new events to attend and have been chatting to others who have told me about some of these groups. They are not all in one easy to find location. ANNOYING!! I would highly recommend the event bright phone app, its really good!

In an effort to keep myself being creative I have hooked up with a number of different writers to initiate some new projects. These are specifically short ideas for the internet. There's no specific deadline but we hope to have something to show later on in the year.

Finally I've been out and about photoing things in an effort to improve my camera and composition skills. So please check out some photos I took from a ceramics workshop located in Sutton College and let me know what you think.

Organisation the key to success!

So this new blog is all about Organisation and how its really important! I've even taken lots of photos to demonstrate how I keep myself organised. I've always been into having a diary to keep track of what I'm up to and like to make lists of things to do. Over the years I've expanded and altered how I organise myself. In this blog I'm going to cover how I organise myself, projects, the studio and my work.

I try to always carry my diary with me for a mix of reasons. For keeping notes, collecting numbers reminders and planning my time. Obviously I have a mobile which I know can do all these things. I prefer using a diary as I can see all the days neatly laid out with my notes on, it is also a bit more significant writing something down I'm more likely to remember if I write it down rather than just putting a note on my phone.

Although a diary is very handy my most useful tool is my year long planner. This is great as I can see the whole up coming year and plan my time out well in advance. It helps to keep me motivated as well as I can clearly see whats coming up and get excited about what I'm going to be doing. I use a August to August rather than start till the end of the year chart. This is mostly as I decided to start using a year planner during the summer last year so this was better value for money than a planner I could only use for a few months. I use the coloured dots to mark specific times holidays, days off etc. I write directly on to the planner for things that are going to last for a couple of days i.e. animating. Then if theres a couple of jobs to do I write the notes on a post-it note and attach it to the appropriate day. Before the wall chart I would plan out animation projects in Numbers but have found this to be far more versatile and simply easier to look at.

Next up we have all my to do lists. These relate directly to my wall chart and help me plan the chart and what I do on my days. Each sheet attached to the note board is its own category theres business, marketing, creative, learning and S&S (the series I'm developing). I then list all the things I have to do under the appropriate title. Business covers business things like updating my business plan or sorting receipts. Marketing covers mostly social media reminders, updating the marketing strategy, taking photos of what I'm up to blog ideas etc. Creative days are days set aside for making, animating, painting etc. Then I have learning days for learning different software or maybe reading a book. Im currently learning, Game Stencyl, Motion, Word-press and improving my Final Cut skills. The idea is I can just note down that I want to have a day set aside for one of these lists then pick and choose what I want to do off them. Finally have a priority list of things to do that are particularly pressing and often take priority. As tasks are completed I simply cross them out. 

Just below my notice board on my desk I have this cool desk mat. It has a clear cover on that lifts up to allow me to store all sorts of stuff under. As can been seen on the left I dump all my receipts for organising at the end of the month. Then on the right I've got bills and letters that I need to keep a track of. As well as being a handy place to stick notes it creates a very comfy surface to lean on. 

I have a filing cabinet this is pretty self explanatory so I wont elaborate.

   

                        

Next Im going to cover how I organise projects. Each time I start a new project I have a new sketch book to work in, to make notes, drawings, ideas etc to keep it all together. I label each sketchbook to so its easy to find. These cool label stickers were from WHSmiths and look way better than boring plain white labels.

                        

As well as having a new sketch book for each project I have a storage box to put everything into. This can be a hard copy of a production bible, original story board, sketchbook, receipts, invoices, letters etc. Again this keeps everything together, the same goes for on the computer. I have a designated folder for each project, then back it up on an external hard drive. 

I believe organisation really is very important, from planning out a project, being able to find things and just keeping everything tidy. 

Animation Journey

Hello I've decided that this post will continue the new start to this blog and give some more background about how I was led to a career in animation. I'll cover some of my influences and things that inspired me along the way.

Growing up I was interested in cartoons, sci fi and fantasy. My favourites were cartoons like Transformers, Thundercats and pretty much any other violent action cartoon. Even now I remember seeing both Transformers on Wackaday and Thundercats which Im sure debuted on a Sunday night which is a bit weird. As a child I wanted to be either a barbarian or Optimus Prime briefly after watching Top Gun I wanted to be a Jet. Both the title sequences for these series were so cool, exciting, iconic music and slick animation. Having watched the shows more recently these are the only parts that are any good. If you still think either of these cartoons are very good your mistaken.

As with all cartoons they had all sorts of tie-ins films, toys, cloths, comics etc. I sporadically bought comics of all sorts of stuff Spiderman, Transformers, Zoids (which I recently re-read and its a great read) Thundercats etc I settled on collecting Thundercats Comics which I have most of a run of the first 100. The Zoids comics features excellent art and even early work by the awesome Grant Morrison

check this out its really good apart from the abrupt end

I settled on Comics as my passion and my goal became to be a comic book artist. In the UK during the 80s Marvel UK produced loads of original comics so I could see a direct route to the career. For me Cartoons and Animation was unachievable. I felt quite detached from the production method as it was behind a screen and out of reach, I had no means to reproduce what I saw on TV. Comics I could hold read, draw and create myself.

My big problem with toys was that you never had all the figures, I used to cut out the characters I hadn't got and stick them to card with bases to expand my ranks of Transformers. 2D cardboard Transformers were quite limiting as they were flat and didn't Transform. When I decided that didn't work I began making Transformers out of Plasticine. This worked far better to the point that I just played with Plasticine Transformers instead of the toys. As well as having a complete collection of Transformers I had all the Marvel Heroes and all the Turtles (and blue peter inspired sewerbase) all made from plasticine.

At school I took Art as an option. Then progressed to College continuing with Art though expanding to study Graphics, Jewellery, Printmaking, Ceramics and Media. I never really enjoyed Media as we had to use Macs which I couldn't get my head round plus I just didn't like using computers. For one of the projects we had to book out a digital camera and take photos of letters. I had left it so late that the cameras were all booked out. As I still had to do the work I bought a cheap digital camera with some Argos vouchers I had won from my job at Mcdoanlds. The Camera did the job and it had an animation feature. Rather than exporting the images as individual photos its was possible to export them as a short quicktime. Then you could add effects in paint. This was my first attempt at Animation. Unfortunately I no longer have any of my early attempts at animation though they were probably amazing works of art. The project I bought the camera for also turned out to be my first film project.

The project was a creative presentation of collected and made images of the alphabet. Rather than just handing in a pile of images I filmed all the images. I held a toy rocket on a string and made it fly past the alphabet for a simple narrative (it was very crude). At this stage it still hadn't occurred to me I could be studying film or animation. I imagine based on my work up to now it was probably looked best for me to avoid this route.

While looking for Universities I was planning to continue with Art and do a fine Art course. It wasn't until looking at a prospectus on the journey home from Wolverhampton I even realised you could study animation at University. I changed courses at the last minuet and did Visual Communication at UCE (now BCU). On this course I studied both live action and animation. I had a go at drawn which i found to be soooo painfully boring that I only produced a handful of drawn animations. I think I still have them on a mini DV somewhere, if I ever find them I may put them online for people to laugh at.

I switched to stopmotion as this is the best one and most fun to do. People often say you have to be patient and it takes ages but I find it pretty instantly rewarding. Within a couple of frames you can have a puppet come to life thanks to your work, I find it very quickly gratifying. Then the more you add the cooler it becomes. This is why I dont enjoy creating drawn animation, you have to sit and draw the same thing over and over and its not until you scan or film it that you can properly appreciate what you have done. I have a lot of respect and time for drawn animators and their great work. The other cool thing about stopmotion is your basically playing with toys and plasticine. Its not quite as fast as just playing but you no longer have to imagine your toys coming to life you are actually bringing them to life.

Okay thats the end for now. I'd like to spend more time in the future writing about specific animations and films that I either think are great and worth checking out or things that have really been an influence on me. I think this covers how I got into animation though.