Saturday, September 26, 2009

WOW!

Holy cow! 5 nominations and a special ASIFA screening at BAF!

A whopping 4 films from the National Media Museums educational outreach programme, Anim8ed Stories, which I taught last year, have been selected to screen in competition during the 2009 Bradford Animation Festival as part of the “Official Selection: Films By Young Animators”.

Evacuation Devastation” National Railway Museum York/Lakeside Primary School, “Immersion Emergence”, Cartwright Hall Gallery, Bradford/Titus Salt School, “The Lion at Home”, Ferens Art Gallery Hull/Bricknell Primary School and “The Fish Market” Ferens Art Gallery/St Ricards Primary School. In addition “Cool It!” (Creative Partnerships Slough, The Animation Station & Creative Junction) has also been nominated.

In recognition of the importance of developing talent, the winner of the Best Film by Young Animators Award will be announced at a special screening on Saturday 14 November at 3pm at the National Media Museum. The shortlisted films will be screened and the winner presented with their BAF Award. BAF is the UK's biggest and longest-running annual animation festival and this award is one of the most prestigious in the country for Young Peoples Films. There are a total of 8 nominated films up for the award from around the world, so it is destined to be a very exciting day.... to say the least!


I don’t normally find myself speechless, but 5 nominations has just flawed me. I’ve been expecting someone to call and tell me they made a mistake all week! It really a testament to huge amount of work and commitment of all the people who worked on these films and most of all, to the sheer amount of raw talent there is out there in the next generation. I love working with children and young peope to find their own voice and teach them the incredible art that animation is, so they can put their voice on film. These awards are so important in celebrating the creative talent of the young and raiseing aweness.


If all of that wasn’t enough excitement, then I’m also presenting a special preview screening for BAF Kids with an ASIFA Workshop Group Screening of our entry for next years special AWG film, celebrates the 50th Anniversary of ASIFA in 2010.

Six families with children aged 10-14 took part in a week-long project to make a two-minute film on the theme of peace, human values and international communication in August 2009... all with a piece of string!


Last year I was honoured to accept the prize for Best Film by Young Animators Award with Bricknell Primary School in Hull and my good friend Jess Wolff for “Up, Up and Away”.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Postcard from Skye

Sorry for the long radio silence - In between setting up my new portfolio website, producing the 4mations "Astronomers Sun" production blog and generally being very busy, I seem to have fallen down the blogging abyss with my own blog. I've just come back from a wonderful family holiday in the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Here's a few doodles from my holiday sketchbook.

Pen & ink. The coastline of Skye is a series of peninsulas and bays radiating out from a centre dominated by the Cuillin hills.


Pen & Ink. This impressive rock formation on the Isle of Skye resembles the sort of stark rock faces you might associate more with a spaghetti western. The mountain range and its strange formations are the result of ancient volcanic activity.

Quick Pen sketch of Seagulls at Portree harbor, situated off the Sound of Rassay, Scotland.


I drew these quick sketches on a small boat trip to see a seal colony around the loch of Dunvegan Castle in Scotland. Watching the effortless and relaxed poses of these playful sea mammals lying on the rocks reminded me a little of my cat back home!