Students get North East panto animated

Just before I flew to Germany I wrapped co-directing on animation on South Shields Dick Whittington at the Customs House. It was a wonderful opportunity to fulfill a theatrical passion and also work with  Ross Allen and her talented team of student animators in Sunderland, many of whom I taught earlier in the year. 

The animated scene features is a live action/animation mix, featuring two of the South Shields theatre’s  long-standing pantomime’s characters, Dame Dotty and her son Tommy, played by Customs House director Ray Spencer and local comedian Bob Stott, escaping from a ship’s trunk and being chased in comic fashion by monsters of the deep.

Ray and Bob have developed their own unique brand of comedy over the last four decades, which has audiences coming back for more, smashing record after record. Last year Aladdin brought in almost 27,000 people and this year’s show could reach new heights with more than 15,000 tickets already being snapped up.   

This year it was decided to add an extra special element on stage as it’s Bob Stott’s final performance as Dame Dotty, retiring his famous bloomers and hairpiece after almost 40 pantomimes, one of the UK’s longest running Dames!

After meetings story meetings with Ray where we trashed out the sequence, I worked closely with my co-director Ros Allen who story boarded the scene. We spent a lot of time ensuring Ray and Bob appear life size on the projected image, and the compositions were adjusted for Ray and Bob to appear to be standing on the stage.

 Ray and Bob as Tommy and Dotty filmed their scenes at the green-screen facilities at the Media Centre, Sir Tom Cowie campus at St Peter’s, using professional camera operator Alistair McKenzie and the assistance of animation students, who worked on various animated characters and prop designs.

 With a low budget we had to invent on our feet. Here's me pondering how to pull of an ambitious effect Bob and Ray riding on a swimming turtle with just a table on wheels to play with.

Making a panto dress billow in the sea currents - Ray looks on as a student in a green screen suit puts his hand under Bobs skirt to create the wave action.... possibly the most embarrassing day of said students life!

Award-winning multi-media artist Chris Lavelle removed the green screen, added backgrounds, lighting and animated thousands of bubbles. And animation students at Sunderland animated an ocean full of wonderful animated characters.

 

The result is making waves with audiences and critics alike - Spike Mike calling it "One of the spectacular highlights of the show".Here's some stills. Dick Whittington, sponsored by Hays Travel, is running until Sunday, January 6.

T

ickets start from £8 and are available from the Box Office on 0191 454 1234 or by visiting customshouse.co.uk

Betty and Dorothy BAF nomination

My thoughts this remembrance Sunday turned to the extraordinary true story of Dorothy Kibbat and her marriage to the late Willi Kibbat, a German soldier and British Prisoner of War. Dorothy slowly told me her story a year ago during the course of a couple of audio interviews for a very special film about the oral history of Yorkshire told by two of the oldest residents of Masham, who have lived through an extraordinary period of change. 

The film, about two lifelong friends, simply called “Betty and Dorothy”, was animated by some of the regions youngest residents, pupils at Kell Bank Primary School. These projects are always incredible to be part of, but this making this film profoundly changed my understanding of the human stories in World War 2. I felt incredibly privileged to spend a few hours with Dorothy and Betty, during which time we were able to piece together a story which remained had remained private for most of her lifetime. It was an extraordinary piece of trust placed on me by Dorothy and her dear friend and an incredible honour and responsibility. Premiering at Masham Arts Festival last year, it is nominated for Best Film by Young Animators at Bradford Animation Festival this coming Saturday at 12pm, and Dorothy and her family will be there along with pupils who made the film. 

Rather incredibly, films made by young people I’ve mentored have won this prestigious international award for the last 4 years. The competition, as always, is fierce. All I can say, is I’ve honestly never been more proud of a film I’ve mentored. It is a beautifully tender and powerful story and I wish the pupils at Kell Bank all the luck in the world this Saturday.

Flipbooks pads on sale!

Very exciting news today that Kudlian Software, makers of I Can Animate, have started selling my flipbook pads! The pads come with 40 blank pages and some top tips on how to get started animating a flipbook.
I started printing my own flipbook pads after years of experience teaching flipbook workshops. I soon discovered that a few simple tips in the book itself made difference. The pages crisp enough to flip and thin enough to trace the preceding page. Kudlian are selling in packs of 10.

Driving Inspiration makes headline news on AWN!

"Driving Inspiration", a groundbreaking Paralympics film I'm directing, collaborating with the one and only Gary Schwartz, producer Vicky Hope-Walker, and animators including April Spunkey Stevenson Charlotte Blacker for the cultural Olympiad has made AWN news headlines! A great article which tells the many inspirational moments as well as the humongous logistical challenges in making this film. All the animation is now in, and going to edit. It premieres in just over a week on July 9th.

The Astronomers Sun now online!

I'm delighted to announce that after an amazing festival run, “The Astronomers Sun” is now available to view online!

Thanks to Adam Kirk for uploading the film to the Duchy Parade Films YouTube page in breathtaking HD, and for updating the website on which it now resides. We hope this will find a new audience, and we encourage you all to promote it and tell the world!

The Astronomers Sun has had a terrific festival run, playing in over 70 festivals around the world, and embraced both critically and by audiences and winning 16 awards to date. It’s broken Screen Yorkshires record as their most successful animated short film by quite a stretch. It’s a testament to everyone who worked on this film and did so much to make it what it is – to Simon and Jess, and the entire production team who helped bring it to the screen. Major thanks also has to go to Peter Kershaw who has along with me, been promoting it at festivals for going on for two years now and Adam Kirk who has been sending copies of the film in various screening formats to festivals around the world.

Thanks eveyone for supporting us.

Enjoy!

BBC TV News - Young Goole filmmakers win Hollywood awards

Thanks to BBC Look North for covering news of our recent Hollywood award success! You can view the report on the link below. This project was a real educational highlight for me and I'm incredibly proud of our young directors, actors and crew who came together to make these films. I was blessed to have a terrific team of professionals work of this project with me to create a mini film school for young people. Particular thanks must go to Nicola Dixon at Junction who initiated this project, Will and the others at Straight 8 for letting us join forces, and Screen Yorkshire & the UK Film Council for funding the programme and their invaluable support.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-17559277

April Film Festival buzz for Ecuador

We've are exited to be playing in some fantastic festivals in April.
So many in fact, I've set up a seperate blog to handle news for "I wish I went to Ecuador".
http://ecuadorfilm.blogspot.co.uk/

VAFI 3rd International Children and Youth Animation Film Festival Varazdin

12-15 April 2012

Hurry! It's on now!

One Earth Film Festival, Chicago USA

Screening at their opening gala! on 27th April along w another short film from the Field Museum of Natural History "Restoring Earth". I've been told a group of young cyclists will be there who are biking across the USA to raise funds to purchase rainforest land to protect! Wow!

5Point Film Festival, an adventure film
festival based in Aspen/Carbondale. 26-29th April

AniFest, Prague

26 April - 1st May

One of the great European animation festivals.

Bradford International Film Festival, UK

Showing as part of the Widescreeen Weekend

Cinerama! Cinerama! 29th April

We took the pupils who made this film to see "This is Cinerama" at the National Media Museum and inspire them about wide screen cinema, so it's fitting the film is screening on Europes only cinerma screen as part of the 60th anniversary of Cinerama! Treats and surprises from the world of widescreen cinema are promised, with clips, short documentaries and those special touches that make Sunday morning at the Widescreen Weekend so special. I will be there to present the film.

Hollywood award and a letter from Al Gore!!!

We are all celebrating after animated documentary, “I wish I went to Ecuador”, made by 360 children to raise awareness of deforestation in Ecuador and the work of their school teacher to preserve them has landed the award for Best Foreign Animation in the Youth Fest category of the prestigious Hollywood International Family Film Festival!

The film, which has been receiving awards from around the world caught the eye of Al Gore. He explained:

The film tells the story of the life changing expedition of their primary school teacher, Mrs Jones, to the Andes, the Cloud Forest and the Rain Forest and charts her realisation that she needed to do something to help preserve it.
Victoria says the experience has changed her life for the better.“Little did I think when I stepped onto that plane [to Ecuador] that it would turn out like this. I was just going to go away for two weeks, have a good time, find out a few bits about another country and it’s just changed my life, for the better, and hopefully it’s going to change loads of lives, it’s going to change the way we think about our role. It’s going to change the way that children, who live in an inner city area can make a difference to children right on the other side of the world.”

One Hull of a Rainforest aims to raise approximately£250,000 to purchase and protect 100 hectares of land which lie at the heart of the Maquipucuna reserve.

Natasha Banke from One Hull of Rainforest says the global attention is “absolutely incredible” and stresses the organizations message is vital for people outside across the world. “It isn’t just about people in Hull making a difference. It’s about people globally making a difference. “Hopefully people from all over the world will now look at our website and learn more about One Hull of Rainforest and maybe schools globally will start something similar to what we are doing in Hull.”

The film is now being shown at some of the leading environmental film festivals worldwide and can be viewed on YouTube.

2 Hollywood awards for Goole Straight 8!

Two young directors from Goole, who took part in a film-making project at Junction last Spring, are celebrating after their films won awards in the Youth Fest category of the prestigious Hollywood International Family Film Festival.    

"Going Up" won the Best Foriegn Comedy award. Directed by Harvey Griffin (aged 15) and co-written by Sam Pratt it featurs young crew members and actors from Goole.  Harvey gave an acceptance speech live to the Hollywood audience from his home via a live video link. He said he was honoured and “proper chuffed” to win the award!

Pitch perfect performances from Mathew Oldreive Francesca Jackson. PS a little bit of trivia - watch out for my cameo!

going up - a straight 8 film by harvey griffin from straight eight on Vimeo.

Hannah Turner (aged 13) made her first film aged 7. Her film “Man from the Moon” was awarded finalist for Best Foreign Drama and combines animation with live action. It again used a young cast and crew from Goole supported by a terrific performance by Alec Cark (aged 77) who travelled from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire to play the title role. He said, “Great news about Hollywood. I knew I'd get there one day!”  For experience for Hannah has been life changing. She said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire process and it has encouraged me to continue making films and pursue a career in film making. I would also like to thank everyone who helped me to make this possible. I am really 'over the moon'"


man from the moon - a straight 8 film by hannah turner from straight eight on Vimeo.

Charlie Studdy, Arts & Leisure Manager at Junction said ‘We are immensely proud of what these young people have achieved; they really put so much hard work into the planning and creativity in these films.  I’m delighted that they have won awards in Hollywood, a great opportunity for two teenagers from Goole to showcase the fantastic talents the youth of Goole has to offer.’ 

The film making project was made possible by a grant from Screen Yorkshire and UK film Council through the Regional Investment Fund for England.  Sally Joynson, Chief Executive at Screen Yorkshire, said: “This is an amazing achievement for these young filmmakers – to win International Film Awards in Hollywood shows how Yorkshire and Humber is a hotbed of filmmaking talent across all ages. I’d like to congratulate both teams on this brilliant success, next stop the OSCARs!”

Congratulations everyone!

Driving Inspiration - call UK aniamtors

Sorry for the lack of posts - been totally busy on losts of exciting projects - and none more exciting than this - an international co-production education programme for the Paralypics. 10 countries are partnering with UK schools to produce a spcial aniamted film for the cultural Olympiad for London 2012 and I've been asked to direct it.



Driving Inspiration is about telling the stories of the Paralympic Games and Paralympians through dance, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, music and film, and the personal journeys of the disabled artists. It is about inspiring young disabled and non-disabled people to identify and fulfil their own dreams, and to celebrate diversity.



We have truly inspirationsal artist working on this - but none more inspirational than Acadamy nominated animator Gary Schwartz, who's going to be kick of the project and work video link with all the international schools for some very specail masterclasses!



Gary calls it 'great big Animated International Exquisite Corpse Anijam'!



I’m urgently looking for good animators with some experience facilitating workshops with young people – who also have a disability, a hidden disabiltiy (such as dyslexia like me) or a learning difficulty to get in touch and help  lead UK workshops.

I’m looking for animators with a disability who are comfortable working with a group of children and young people to facilitate the creation of a piece of animation working to a brief, and comfortable talking about their disability to groups of young people.

I’m ideally looking for people with experience of working with young people in community or schools settings, but professional experience is equally – if not more important.

iving Inspiration partners disabled artists with paralympians, to share their inspiring success. Driving Inspiration is a project led by Creative Bucks a partnership between the District and County councils of Buckinghamshire. This project has been funded by Art Council England, and the South East's Legacy Trust project, Accentuate, to encourage young people to explore the inspiration behind the achievements of Paralympics Athletes.

Alma

OK, so there aren't many posts from me at the mo as I'm very busy working a little hush hush number, which hopefully won't be too hush hush for much longer! One of the things we are doing at the mo is being treated to some wonderful films and I thought I'd share one of them with you.


The wonderful, and deliciously spooky, short film "Alma" by Pixar alum, Rodrigo Blaas. Picked out by Andrew Allen at Short of the Week Enjoy!

Goole film-makers get Hollywood nominations

Two young directors from Goole, who took part in a film-making project at Junction last Spring, have had their films nominated in the Youth Fest category of the prestigious Hollywood International Family Film Festival. 
  

Harvey Griffin (aged 15) directed a short film entitled Going Up, which also featured young crew members and young actors from Goole. Harvey is pleased to have been nominated and, as there appears to be only one nomination in the Comedy category, looks set to scoop the award.
Hannah Turner (aged 13) made her first film aged 7. Her film “Man from the Moon” is nominated for Best Drama. and combines animation with live action. It again used a young cast and crew from Goole supported by a terrific performance by Alec Cark (aged 77) who travelled from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire to play the title role. He said, “Great news about Hollywood. I knew I'd get there one day!” Hannah is ecstatic to have been selected for the Hollywood screening, saying “I found the process very interesting and I have learnt a lot from the entire film course.”

Charlie Studdy, Arts & Leisure Manager at Junction said ‘We are immensely proud of what these young people have achieved; they really put so much hard work into the planning and creativity in these films. I’m delighted that they have been nominated in Hollywood, a great opportunity for two teenagers from Goole to showcase the fantastic talents the youth of Goole has to offer.’

Goole Straight8 was a 6 month film project for young people held at Junction, led by professional film-maker David Bunting. David, who started making films as a child on Super 8 before working on films like “Shaun the Sheep”, Disney’s “The Tigger Movie” and Channel 4’s “The Astronomers Sun” says ‘“While any film festival success is a real accomplishment, the truth is a Hollywood nomination is a massive deal for any filmmaker and our young filmmakers should be very proud of what they have accomplished. Their films will be screened on a Hollywood lot along with the best films made by young people from around the world. What’s really remarkable is our films were short on film and unedited, under strict competition rules set by Straight 8. Making films is hard enough, but the added challenges of editing in camera, meant our young filmmakers really had to plan every element of their film – with no chance of a second take. And maybe that’s the ultimate reason for their success. All of the professionals who worked with the young people put a huge amount of trust in them and our young people rose to the challenge! The whole thing was like a mini film school.”
Both films were made for Straight8 - a film competition like no other, in which entrants are provided with 8mm film and only get one shot at capturing their short movie. There is no opportunity to edit what has been filmed, and the first time the filmmakers got to see their work was at the premiere last summer at the ICA in London. Each applicant sent their unprocessed reel of film to the festival, who developed and viewed it to make their selections. Due to the tough challenge of making the film, it is usually experienced film-makers and degree-level film students that enter their work – it is very rare that young people get such an opportunity to have their work shown at this level. Straight8 Festival organiser Will Cummock said ‘Straight 8 is a tough challenge for any filmmaker, so it's fantastic to see young people taking it on so successfully’.

The film making project was made possible by a grant from Screen Yorkshire and UK film Council through the Regional Investment Fund for England. Sally Joynson, Chief Executive at Screen Yorkshire, said: “This is an amazing achievement for these young filmmakers – to be recognised internationally and have your film screened in Hollywood is something they won’t forget. It just goes to show how Yorkshire and Humber is a hotbed of filmmaking talent across all ages. I’d like to congratulate both teams on this brilliant achievement.”

California Hero

It’s official – a group of children from Hull are heros in California! “The Lion at Home”, made by pupils at Bricknell Priamry School in Hull in partnership with the National Media Museum and the Ferens Art Gallery just keeps roaring on! It recieved an honorable award in the Student Animation category for the 2011 MY HERO International Film Festival. What makes this award truly astounding is it won in the Student Animation Category, beating postgraduate entries!!

David Kelly, Associate Media Director at The MY HERO Projects said, he was "utterly charmed" by the films energy and humor.

"It tells a lovely story with such zest and aplomb that I was surprised to find out that the filmmakers were a team of Year 4 students, learning animation from David Bunting. We at MY HERO were ready to program the film on its own merits, but knowing that it was inspired by the imagination of such young artists made that decision particularly rewarding."

You can veiw the film along with the other winning films on the website's new 2011 MY HERO Film Festival Winner's page