Monday, September 23, 2013

BAF nomination for My Bricknell

Congratulations to everyone at Bricknell Primary School who's new animated film "My Briknell" is nominated for an award at Bradford Animation Festival this November.

A child’s eye animated documentary of life at primary school, from the first day to the last. Featuring interviews across each school year, the film uses stop motion imagery and flip books to illustrate the children's individual journeys.


As Bricknell Primary School celebrates its 80th birthday, opening in 1933, “My Bricknell” takes a reflective journey of school life, told by the school classes of 2013. While the context is local, the film speaks universally and honestly of contemporary children’s experiences. From fears of exams, to the wonder of fun of childhood, My Bricknell reveals what it is like to grow up as a child through school in 21st Century Britain. Bricknell Primary School is a large primary school home to over 600 pupils, serving a culturally diverse community close to the University of Hull. The area is one of high density housing with 7 primary schools and one secondary school close by.

This is the fifth film made in a special collaboration between Bricknell Primary School  in Hull and animator David Bunting. Their collaboration, utilizing animation as a creative learning tool, has resulted in a series of internationally celebrated films and 14 awards to date. The last film, “I wish I went to Ecuador” (2011), a  was screened at the worlds largest Environmental Film Festivals, the UN climate change summit, and won the support and praise of Al Gore.  

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Boarding at Aardman Animations


I had a great time storyboarding in-house at Aardman Animations on Shaun the Sheep series 4. Such a special studio filled with the most talented group of artists, it’s hard to express how special it was working with them again on what is going to be a superb new series. When a group composed of the most talented and super critical artists gathered together for the Friday rushes and laughed though them all... you know its going to be good! And for a storyboard artist, seeing how the animators brought those single sketches to life was very special. I can't wait for the series to be broadcast so I can share some storyboards. For now, here's a silly picture of me and the fox.



 I've got a busy quarter coming up with new TV projects - more news to come - and I'm excited to be dropping into Sunderland University one day a week this term to teach their BA animation students storyboarding, and give advise to the MA students working on their final films.