The Mason is now as complete as it will ever be. My friend Wes Hibbert was very nice and grated my film and printed it on DVD's. I have started the sending The Mason to festivals. Fingers crossed, someone out there will like it. I'll let you know if The Mason gets shortlisted or shown anywhere, but apart from that I won't write anymore posts on this blog.
Thanks to everyone who helped me make The Mason. I really have learned a lot and can't wait to start a new project!

Almost there!!!

The Mason is so close to complete!!! While i finish of the last few detail it is taking part in an online film competition. If anyone reading this would like why i have hardly spent any time with my friend over the last year, here is a, http://www.nrk.no/p3tv/Stenhuggeren/
If you like it, please vote by clicking the pink button under the film. The txt should change when the vote is regristered. I'll post a link to the finished finished film whenI stop nitpicking :)

cheers everyone!

the perfect toy

Cari showed me something called Lincoln Logs today. They are toy logs the american kids played with up untill the 80's. If i had that, my outside set building would be well easy.

Set building

For the last three weeks plus a week and a half ahead i have scheduled set, prop and puppet making. So far everything is going to plan. I started by planing everything out in card, took measurements and went to the wood shop to have things cut and build them. It feels so good to finally be doing something hands-on. The wood people are very nice and they let me use saws and all sorts. I created a gallery of the proses.
Today Cari and I are going to the John Wright studio to buy ball and socket joints for the armatures. I have taking out £600 in cash to pay them as the bank confiscated my card. (Just cos i didn't let them know i had moved.) Lets hope i don't get robbed on the way, as that would make me tray angry!

dirt

I have no idea how i am gonna make my outside set. I would like to make the grave look like this, but i it will have to be made with sand, glue and paint will have to be the way forward.

Clothing - Bunad

‘Folkedrakt’ (traditional costumes) were used as everyday and party clothes in Norway up to the 1800s. How the costumes were used was controlled by strict norms. The party versions had more elaborate embroidery, scarves and shawls, and were often accessorized with hand-made silver or gold jewelry called solje in Norwegian. Each valley had its own style. Only those who were born in or had relations in a certain valley or district have the right to wear that particular costume.

In the mid 1900s Norway went though a new national romantic period and variations of these national costumes, called bunads, were created using the local traditions. They became extremely popular, but are now used by most norwegians for special occasions, like the national day, confirmations, weddings and Christmas. There are more than 200 varieties of the costume; each signifies which rural district your family originates from. Both men and women wear bunads.

post

When i started my MA , Chris Webster asked me what I wanted to learn by the end of the degree. My answer was that i wanted to be a director/animator. I wanted to practice the skills i would need to improve to become a good team player. However, as the course when on I got more and more involved in my own project. I forgot there are other people around me that have more specialised skills in areas i might not. After a really long summer break I have decided to make my project more of a team effort. My team now consists of

Michelle Green - Sound Engineer

Rita Sampaio - Set and prop designer

Hanna Merilainen - Script supervisor

Michael Rokes - Storyboard artist

Of course these people are really busy themselves, so i use them more as consultans. But it is good and i feel this is a better way of working.

Balance

I came across this film yesterday, directed by Christoph Lauenstein & Wolfgang Lauenstein back in 1989. It a beautiful slightly odd film capturing the balance of human nature. Truly magnificent film.

Degree show

The degree show at Bower Ashton is this year is truly outstanding. It has made me think about what to do for yours next year. I hope we get a little control over how it will be. I would like to create a tunnel of imagination. Every student who wanted to could get a bit they can decorate how ever they please. With sound, puppets, concept art, drawings, sketches. Let cross our fingers, if we get as much as these year got to print that banner, we’d be sorted!

Hand-in

It has been a painfully enjoyable journey, but it is finally hand-in time. I have the summer to make my sets and puppets, then straight in to production when uni opens in September. Thanks to everyone how has commented or read this this blog! You know who you are!

The focus with these tests was light and depth. I didn't have access to the lights I will have in production, but it was still worth testing. The camera had problems with picking up the dimly lit backgrounds. This is something I will have to address and think about when designing my sets and lighting it.
The wire armature is also about to break at the hip and I am certain I won't be using wire in my final puppet. I got a total of three days shooting. But can i justify spending lots of £ on a John Wright armature? Chris thinks there are other solutions, but they are all very time consuming.

• Light and depth


• Sc1 light test


• Joints

Master of procastonation

ADAA

My 1 minute wonder is now officially on its way to the semi finals in San Diego. I burned a DVD and signed a contract that lets Adobe use my film as they please. It's a bit scary to sign contracts, but I am quite sure I keep the rights to it! UWE was kind enough to send everything for me via a courier and I can track the parcel online! It is amazingly satisfying to see it travel across the world!
ADAA is the first award I have entered any film into and the positive response has made me want to send my films off to other festivals. I might not get the same positive response, but it is worth a try!

Endstation Paradies

Endstation Paradies is a great stop-motion film about rats seeking a better life. Directed by Jan Thüring (2000). The set and puppets function well together. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this film feels like a high budget student film. I still like it though.

Happy Feet

A DANGEROUS PENGUIN IS BRAINWASHING OUR CHILDREN

There has been quite a lot of discussion around the intentions behind Happy Feet in America. In a country that prides itself on freedom of speech, some feel this penguin film is taking it too far! I watched the film yesterday and can see what they are saying. The film has a clear agenda of shedding light on certain political issues, but is that so bad? Neil Cuvuto from Fox News says "In the movie the penguins are starving, the fish are all gone and it’s clear that humans and big business are to blame." He wonders if Hollywood is using kid’s films to promote a far left message. The topics in the film are discussed in the media often enough, but as kids don't watch the news entertainment is defintely an effective way of reaching them.

The debate about children's entertainment having hidden messages has been going on since before I was born. 'Sandman' is a good example of a show that I grew up watching. It quite promotes Communism, using symbols and making the values of brotherhood and unity appear flawless. But if this is 'dangerous' then surely it is just as 'dangerous' with all the films about the 'American Dream'. The reason I do not have a problem with Happy Feet or the Sandman having such messages might be because I mostly agree with the messages. I would react differently to a children's film promoting racism and violent behavior. Maybe I am brainwashed already!

My conclusion is that Happy Feet is not dangerous. If opening children's eye to reality is brainwashing, then so be it!

Heads

I have created a gallery with most of the heads i have made so far. See the galleries in the margin on right-hand side.

Spider-Man 3

I have just returned from the best cinema experience ever! Who knew this film would bring so much excitement in to my life! I give this tonight's outing 10 out of 10 points. Get this right, on the way there we saw a fox. Now, I get quite excited when I see wild life, it has to be said. Then we saw the film, which was OK, nothing special. Then on the way back it started off with a fire truck howling past us, a car one fire on the side of the road, and then we saw another fox and another fox and another fox. It was bizarre (felt a bit Twin Peekish). Has anyone ever had a more thrilling trip than that to the cinema? Four foxes and on car fire!!
I am going to have to go to bed now as I am exhausted after an eventful evening. Boy am I glad I went to see Spider-Man 3! No foxes were harmed!

Lip-sync tests

I tested heads, including my one. This was just as a warm up. I worked using a dope-sheet, were you can break down the sound frame by frame. When I animate I have a chart I can follow which makes it a lot easier. Didn't have the sound with me this time, which meant I could not play it back as I went. I didn't realise this was a possibility in Stop Motion Pro, next time I will have the sound to check as well!
The problem with the silicon head was that the whole head stretched when I moved it. This makes the eye sockets barely secure enough to hold the eye. A bigger issue is the mouth shapes. The wire yaw makes it easy to manipulate an open and close movement in a duck like fashion. But it is very hard to make "o" shapes and "m" shapes with this technique. Nothing sticks to silicon either, hens he has no eye lids.
Plasticine has other issues. I prefer how the lip-sync turned out in this material. However, I am concerned with the boil effect where I touch him, especially as the plasticine softens under the lights. I do apologise if the lack of eyes freaks anyone out!

One solution might be to use polymorph plasticine combination. Must try that.
(click on the pictures to see the tests)

I am not even sure if I want lip-sync in my film, but it is always a good skill to have. One thing that was successfully in these test was the 16:9 ratio and the focus experiment. I prefer the 16:9 format to the 4:3. It makes it easier to navigate the viewers eyes!

Hothouse

"The aim is to re-imagine ways of making animation that are faster, more flexible and that celebrate the shortest of short forms while maintaining creative and technical excellence, all hallmarks of NFB animation."

I wrote about Hothouse in a previous post, but I have now found out more about it! Basically, NBF give 8 emerging filmmakers 12 weeks to make 30 seconds of animation! They have an experienced film-maker at hand to guide them along the way (this year it is Torill Kove). Films are diverse in both content and technique, from animating dead ainmals to rotoscoping. I do not know if they pay to be there or if they get payed, however, this sounds like a great opportunity, stressful and fun. Worth looking into when i finish my masters.

Model making silicon

This is the head I made in the model-making workshop earlier this week. Silicon is great, but it is the mold making proses that is I think I will have the most use of! Allthough it is time consuming, I can imagine it saving me time when I animate! I can use this mold with any kind of material and reproduce the shape as many times as I need! Amazing! Next time I go through this proses I will take pictures a long the way as documentation, I didn't have my camera this time.

Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett has turned into one of my main inspirations for my film. The story is about a young Mary Lennox who gives new life to a 'garden' that has been lifeless for years. It is the relation ship between Mrs. Medlock (the housekeeper) and Colin Craven (Marys cousin) that fascinates me. Mrs. Medlock wants only the best for Colin, but her attempts of protecting him from disease is making him ill. This is similar to the relationship I am trying to portray in my film. I like the idea of the Mason trying to get involved in his daughter's life, but bringing her down by doing so. It is not intentional, but a result of his nature.
If you haven't read it Irecommend it at the strongest! Here is a link to the book if you are too cheap to buy it and a link to a summery if you are lazy to read it! :)

2nd model-making workshop

We had a 10 hour work shop today with the hard-core Murf, started out making a sketch in plasticine and by the end of the day we had a silicon head with a wired yaw. Now, that head is still in its mould at uni, I don’t actually know how it will turn out. I am going in first thing in the morning to find out! Meanwhile here is a picture of the plasticine head.

Alcohol in Norway

Regulations have governed the serving of alcohol since the Middle Ages. These were often more stringent in rural areas than in the towns. Around 1300 it was decreed that there should be taverns within every half-day’s distance to provide travellers with refreshment. People who lived near these taverns were not permitted to drink there, but were allowed to buy alcoholic beverages for private consumption.

Taverns
In 1596 the mayor of Oslo was given the exclusive privilege to serve and sell wine and beer to the public from the cellar of the Town Hall. This was intended to combat the ‘improper’ serving of alcohol from the premises of tailors, shoemakers and smiths. Throughout the following centuries a few taverns in Christiania (Oslo until 1624) were given the privilege of serving alcoholic beverages by now including spirits, which were introduced to Norway during the 1500s and soon became popular. These establishments catered mainly for the well-to-do. More humble taverns on the outside of the town provided for the workers, ‘Watering holes’ along main roads into town increased substantially in number while access to sprits in rural areas was gradually restricted. Farmers on their way to market were regular customers. Many of these ‘taverns’ were private homes, often without authorisation to distil, - let alone serve spirits.

The display (from the Museum of Cultural History) shows a scene that might have taken place on the outskirts of Christiania in the 1820s. A single woman earns a living for herself and her children by distilling, selling and serving spirits. In this period people flocked to the growing town looking for work and the demand for spirits increased sharply. In the country, distillation was traditionally women’s work and many used their skill as a means of making ends meet in the town. Alcohol abuse led to an active movement to limit the consumption of spirits. In 1848 further legislation was adopted. This aimed to restrict home distillation by ruling that authorised kettles had to hold at least 100 litres.

2007 Showreel

Finally, I have finished editing my 2007 showreel. It contains animation from the Three Month Bristol Animation Course and my films …for the Last Time, Bedbugs Bite, Snail’s Pace and the One Minute Wonder. It’s been hard picking out what I think is the best of my animation, but finally I have 2 minutes I am quite proud of. The soundtrack is Escape From the Island by Ralph Myerz and the Jack Hearen Band. Hopefully they wont mind me using their track, I have emailed them and asked for permission, so we’ll see what they say.

Watch my 2007 Showreel (in Quicktime).
400 x 300

If you would like to see the full films I have made links to all of them on the right hand side of the blog. Hope you enjoy!

Sally Cox talk

Sarah Cox spoke to us today about how Sally and her started the company Arthur Cox. She spoke about the challenges of being a creative person in a business world. Like as everyone else that has come in to talk to us, they learned a lot as they went along. Even I find that with the business end of the web design I do and I am sure I haven't come across a fraction of it yet. It feels reassuring that people I regard quite highly say they have gone through the same thing! See Arthur Cox' website: www.worldofarthurcox.com

Tim Allen talk

Tim Allen came to talk to us at uni yesterday. He is a great animator who has worked on a range of productions from the Corpse Bride to KaptainKerPOW (his student film:). Tim has worked in the industry for almost 10 years and shared with us his experiences; how different studios work, what to expect and much more. The most fun was of course when he showed us footage of himself acting out the animals in Creature Comforts. It was really good to see his work and how it has developed and an eye-opener on how the industry operates, which was a bit scary but mostly inspiring!! I think auditions are a lot more nerve-racking than I first thought!!
This is Tim's current Showreel:

Animation test NO1

The goal of the test today was purely to see how the puppet moved and test the balance. Composition and lighting was irrelevant.

The first problem I encountered, when testing my puppet this morning, was that I could not use the tie-downs. The puppet is designed to be attached with screws to a tabletop with pre made holes, but I could not find a table with holes in. Compromising, I tried to tape him to the side of the table. This wasn’t nearly strong enough, so in the end I had to hold him with one hand. Animating with a puppet that can not stand up-right on his own turned out to be rather tricky. This also meant I only had one hand to move him with.

Another problem was moment. Manipulating one limb affected the rest of the puppets pose more than I had anticipated. Now, some of the movements I can control better when I sort of the find a better table to work on and have two hands to animate with. Still the wire was a lot stiffer than I expected. I am going to have to look into the possibility of using a ball and socket joint in areas of the body to try and isolate movement.

I am also a little worried about the type of tie-downs. With screws I imaging that it will be a lot trickier to lift the legs. I liked using magnets on the three months course, putting metal plates under his feet and use magnets under a table to hold him down. Then there would not be as much fumbling under the table, but with the problems I had with the stiff wire frame I am not sure I think magnets will be good enough.

All in all I am happy with the test today. It is better ironing out the problems now than being delayed when shooting. It is all good experience I can take with me when I start making my second test puppet. I’ve ordered wire online and have quite a bit of polymorph left so it should not be too long till the next guy is ready.

Watch the test here

Torill Kove

One of my favorite films at the moment is My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts directed by Torill Kove. I really like the way she illustrates history in an light and informative manner through the life of someone who has very little to do with it. Its a beautiful story of an individual in the bigger picture.

I tried to find the film online before I put up this post, but the best I could do was a clip on the NBF's website. I have My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts and The Danish Poet on DVD if anyone I know wants to watch them.

Tim Burton

Naturally, as I work with stop motion animation, I have great respect for Tim Burton's films. Recently I purchased Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: An Invitation to the Wedding and Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas": The Film, The Art, The Vision. Personally I think the last one is the better of the two books as it is more about the production of the film rather than the glossy presentation of Corpse Bride. They were both worth the buy! I cant wait to actually have time to read them properly.

NFB Hothouse Chronicles

Just found an online video 'blog' on YouTube that follows animators working with the National Film Board of Canada through their productions. Sometimes it is good to see other film-makers going through the painstaking yet beautiful process of making a film. There are two episodes so far. I was looking for Torill Kove's My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts (1999) when I came across it. I linked the first episode of NFB Hothouse Chronicles up to the YouTube image in case anyone wanted to check it out!