Stepney School Animations are live!

Production Still: "How Willberforce Stopped the Slave Trade" KS2


Great news! The first series of animated films made as part of my 30 day residency through Creative Partnerships Hull and Arts Council England. are now on the Stepney school webiste! You can see animation made from 3 year olds in foundation, fables in key stage 1 and the just completed film made by year 3+4 about William Willberforce - which is already generating a good deal of excitment.

My 30 day residency at Stepney School is fast beoming one of the most extraordinary, enjoyable and inspiring adventures of my life. Animation is the art form of our age and remains virtually untapped as a teaching tool. In education, just like film, animation can be mistaken as a gimmick or a poor second cousin to live-action. What I’ve learnt is that the reverse is true. Few art forms have the power to captivate young people and facilitate creative expression like animation. To be able to connect with children through cartoons is awesome. My year 6 teacher saw the potential years ago when he invited me to make a cartoon about what I was learning in class. It’s not rocket science. But I'll let these films speak for themselves. Enjoy!
"Jack and the Beanstalk", KS1

3 films in a day!

Last Sunday was sunny and gorgeous in Goole - perfect for making a series of films based on everything we've been looking at so far - old Goole stories, acting, film-making and special effects. Under the supervision of Duchy Parade Films Peter M Kershaw, our groups got their first experience using actual film cameras with black and white film thanks to our sponsors at Kodak! We discovered how to use a range of Super 8 cameras, set up a tripod and direct a shot on location. Our groups storyboarded, made props and special effects set pieces, rehearsed, acted, directed. In short they made their very own silent movies in a day.

EVERYBODY came away from the day with a ton of learning which will provide invaluable in preparing for the shoot proper over Spring Bank. The films are going away for developing and will have their first screening when we visit the National Media Museum at Bradford on Sunday 29th April!

This Sunday, 1st April is our last session before Easter. Peter Kershaw is taking a writing workshop at 2pm and helping our group prepare for their next challenge. Pitching a film concept to our group - our Goole Silent Movie project!

Comic Relief

Er yes, I went to school in my pyjamas and all in aid of comic relief! And we raised a lot of money in the process!! Well what can I say? Some of my favourite times since the New Year have been working with Stepney School in Hull. The 'Animated Solutions' learning programme has been developed and supported in conjunction with Creative Partnerships Hull, an Arts Council England initiative. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent time in this inspiring school who have earned an outstanding OFSTED report. The school in Beverley Road has also become the sixth city school to be awarded Beacon School status by the Government, Beacon designed to spread good practice, helping to raise standards and achievement within schools.

When I have more time, I'll write down some of the extraordinary discoveries and we've in using animation to aid the curriculum with links to some of the inspiring animation which has been developed through the programme. You can see in the background some of the work I did with year 2.

To add to the surreal experience, I was interviewed by Viking FM (in my pyjamas) about a project years 3 and 4 have spent the last two weeks working on - an animated film about William Wilberforce to mark 200 years since the ‘Abolition of the Slave Trade’ Act. Next week Creative Partnerships are bringing in percussionist Garry Hammond of The Beautiful South fame to work with the children on the sound track. I can't wait! Much more news on this project soon.

Congratulations to Giles & Sylvia!

I travelled to the small town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch on 3rd Feb for the wedding of Giles, my good friend from Uni, to the lovely Sylvia. Nobody seems to know that Ashby-de-la-Zouche exists or, if they've read Adrian Mole, that it's a real place! It is in fact a wonderful English market town and I saw it on a perfectly sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Giles is somewhat bashful about having his picture taken, so I hope he didn't mind me excitedly snapping away!

It was also good to meet my flatmate from Bournemouth Dr Henry Bush who now teaches the BA Animation Students at the University with his girlfriend Helen. Emma Vane, at the bottom is a wonderful actress who's performance in "The Tolstoy Tales" with The Humble Theatre Company has just been acclaimed by The Stage.

If anyone would like to have a look at my wedding photographs from the happy day, you can do so here.

Goole Silent Movie Launch

After months of planning we held the very first workshop on Sunday 25th Feb for The Goole Silent Movie Project - the day of the Oscars. A superb group of young people joined us for the first day of what is going to be a really exciting filmmaking journey. The Sunday Film Club has also started and it is the first time I've had a chance to see a lot of silent films on the big screen. Seeing them in a room full of people laughing and enjoying them together was awesome! I've set up Film Club links on the blog so you can find out more about the films, directors and actors featured. Producer/director Peter M Kershaw and myself went to London yesterday for the First Light Movie Awards to see some of the very best of films made by young people - a real inspiration - before visiting various film processing studios for the project.

For anyone interested in joining, the good news is it's not to late. We are still looking for young talented actors, filmmakers, writers and artists. Check out the blog, come along to The Gate Theatre on Sunday for 2pm to register and have a go.

Want to be a star?

OK, well following on nicely from the last post, we start the long awaited Goole Silent Movie Project STARTS THIS SUNDAY 25 FEB!

We are still looking forActors, Film-makers, Writers, Animators, Prop set and Costume Designers, Researchers and Musicians aged 13 -20 to join this exciting project. We have an team of film-makers to work with you to help develop your skills and ideas in the form of myself, Writer/Director Peter M Kershaw of Duchy Parade Films, Theatre director and actor Madeleine Frost. We sat around last night, cunningly planning the day, and endulging ourselves with a night of classic Silent Films.

The project is FREE and will involve regular weekly sessions Join us from 2pm at The Gate Theatre. So if you are interested and would like to find out more, come and join us this Goole this Sunday. or check out the blog.

He a star! (...well he was a day ago)

I love surprises.

Well I'm looking forward to working with Dave Flemming and the guys and gals at York Hospitals and Arts Action York on an exciting project soon but what I never realised is Dave has a double life and is secretly an indie rock star! To quote Dave, "At Last! I did it! I have a number 1!" His Band, 'The Erratics' have gone crashing in at number 1 in Channel 4s 'Unsigned' Charts. Well, they had. I've just got round to checking it out. At the time of writing they have vanished, such is the fickle and fast changing world of the unsigned charts. However I rather feel Dave 'Lennie Lazerbeam' Flemming has been around long enough not let stardom, however fleeting, get to him! So check them out and vote them back to no1!

Dave says "Keep and old rocker smiling in his old muso days... Still Got it.... well got something... actually I think it might be arthritis..." Nice one Dave.

Half term fun!

Well, I'm off this morning to one of my favourite places - the brilliant Animation Station in Barbary, with two workshops for 8-13 year olds, "Wild Wonders" and "Destination Imagination". I went to the Animation Station for the first time last Summer and it's great to be going back. I'm touring with these workshop this year and if anyone wants further details, just drop me a line. Then I'm sprinting over to Goole on Friday for the Goole Silent Movie open day. Sounds like a packed half term!

I'm back!

Sorry for the long silence. I've had some problems getting into my blog since moving over to the new blogger. But I'm in now! Way to much to update on a sinlgle posting, so I'll do that over the next few days.

Lots of exciting things around the corner - but none more exciting that The Goole Silent Movie Project. I've teamed up with Goole Town Council, Producer/Director Peter M Kershaw of Duchy Parade Films and theatre practitioner Madeliene Frost to offer young people aged 13-20 in Yorkshire the change to make a silent film based in Goole.

Goole Silent Movie will empower young people with researching, writing, acting, directing, animation, filming and editing skills to create a silent movie. We are running a drop in day over Feb half term on Friday 17th Feb at Goole Museum. We launch the project at the Gate Theatre on 25th Feburary. For more information check out the Goole Silent Movie blog.

Wishing you an animated Christmas!

Christmas came early this year for as I was busy helping year 10 and 11 pupils at Sydney Smith School in Hull create animated backdrops for the school pantomime. As fas as I know, this is the first time a school has used large scale back projection for animation as part of a theatre production. Here are some stills from behind the scenes. The set design is by the student director. Merry Christmas!

Perfect for your Christmas stocking!

Just what you've always wanted! Yes, the photo-graphic novel "The Last Coiner" is avaibale on line and in specialist stores, and my fine features grace the pages as the nortorious John the Informant!

See Duchy Parade Films for more details.

Christmas shopping with Riffs of Rage!

Yeah, it's been ages. So much going on right now, that what with preparing for Christmas, (Ho, ho, ho) blogging has rather suffered. If you've been Christmas shopping in Newcastle, you might have seen Riffs of Rage in all its cartoon glory on entering the train station! It's playing to thousands of happy shoppers on a big screen there. Hurrah!

The Simpsons Movie

I can't wait to see this film. Check out the trailer. Fantastic as always.

The Raggy Dolls

I trawled through all my really old reels a few weeks ago for the presentation I gave at the co-op young peoples film festival. On one old VHS tape I found a couple of episodes of "The Raggy Dolls" which I actually did camera work on. At 16, I blagged a couple weeks at Orchid Productions and persuaded them to let me loose doing sound breakdown and working in the camera room, on top of animation and drawing tuition from the brilliant Mark Mason. No computer lip-sync systems. And of course all the animation drawings were transferred to cells and filmed under pressure class onto 16mm film. It's so amazing how much animation production has changed and really exciting. A lot of the tedium which cost studies a lot of money is now being redirected into richer animation and more elaborate set-ups. Mark Mason redesigned the Raggy Dolls to what you see above. He taught me an incredible amount about drawing and dared me to push my skills. A real inspiration. Thanks Mark.

Posters

I'm love good film posters, so I thought it would be fun to show some posters from films I've worked on.

I got a big kick out of animating some of the show stopping effects in this opening sequence at Nexus Productions. Some of my effects appear on this poster, designed by Nexus directors, Smith & Foulkes.

A truly iconic poster from the film that got me a break into the effects animation world in London at Tandem Films. I had the time of my life learning under some of the best in the business and animating many of the effects for "Tiggers Family Tree" song sequence.

What is it with DVD airbrushed covers? Sadly, this looks better than any of the film posters I saw, which is a real shame. I saw some really great conceptual work on this film, and it was a shame that the studios involved were unable to bring that vision to the screen. I only did a few shots on this film and I'm still proud to say I nearly killed Tiny Tim with a the bucket of ice cold water!

International Animation Day

Well, it's animation day on Saturday (hurrah!) and I'll be in Hull premiering animated films made by local people for SPARC (Social Participation in Actively Rebuilding Communities) produced by Terrapin Productions for a government regeneration project.

I've been spending the last two weekends in Hull running an animation club for members of the local community, which has been amazing, and a lot of fun. Two 13 year old girls told me doing my workshops is more fun than playing computer games!!! My life is complete! The whole world has been invited to Preston Road on Saturday afternoon, which is a little nerve wracking as we still have complete a lot of work.

Preston Road is part of the New Deal for Communities (NDC) which is a key programme in the Government's National Strategy foneighborhoodod Renewal. We are using animation for initial consultation and planning, producing a series of short animated films exploring Preston Road. I'll try and get a link up to some of the films soon.

Innovative Yorkshire Folk

Duchy Parade Films project "The Last Cointer" has made BBC news. Check it out!

Co-operative Young Film Makers

I'm thrilled to be giving a talk and animation workshop at the Co-operative Young Film-makers Festival in Bradford this Friday. During 'Animated Adventures', I'll be talking about some of the films I've worked on over the years, as well as my work using animation with young people in education and community arts. It will be followed by a flipbook workshop later in the afternoon.

In case anyone is interested in coming, the seminar starts at 12.30 in the Cubby Broccoli cinema. I'm told that booking is essential!

The Co-operative Young-filmmakers Festival has provided young people with the opportunity to air their films on the big screen since 1966.
It runs from 13 - 14 October and, in the words of the organizers, features 100 short films, over 20 fantastic film workshops and masterclasses and everything you want to know about the film industry with advice from our friendly film experts.

Well done to "It's a Boy!"

I'm delighted to hear that the book, "It's a Boy!", has won the children's book of the year award at the UK Christian Book Awards. Congratulations to Alexa Tewkesbury and Steve Legg who worked so hard on this imaginative re-telling of the Christmas Story. It has been widely distributed to primary schools, and was prompted by Legg’s discovery that many children thought Jesus was named after a swearword. I did a small amount of work on the animated film as a storyboard artist.

Renaissance

I finally had the chance to see Christian Volkmans much talked about 3D computer hybrid feature film, "Renaissance". As a fan of Blade Runner, Akira, Sin City and French graphic art, I was needless to say, eager to see this film. Sadly the film doesn't quite match the giddy heights of either film, but what it does represent is a continuing experimentation in bringing the world of graphic novels, and other sylized worlds to a cinema currently obsessed with hyper-realism.

Renaissance looks stunning in stills, with the kind of beautifully executed environments the genre demands. And in the cinema, the higly detailed set-pieces bring you into this world with breathtaking cinematography. But the animation, created using motion capture, left me much mess impressed. While non-photorealistic rendering worked wonders with environments and props, a 3D model rendered with 2D shaders can never hope to replicate the graphic style of an illustrator who uses flat lines and shapes to create aesthetic style and beauty. And just like rotoscoping made drawn animation look wooden, the same is true in motion capture for non-photorealistic rendering.

While I am excited about the possibilities opening up to animation with the aid of the computer as most people, am I the only person who thinks the characters in this film would have been better hand animated? And the tell tale 3D smoke replaced with graphical hand drawn smoke as respectful to the style of graphic art novels as the sets and characters? I'm hard pressed to think of a film more obvious for such a treatment.

High end-technology may sound more sexy than light-boxes, pencil and paper, but isn't it the end result that's the important thing? In this case, I think both would have worked together to achieve a richer film. But maybe I'm just old fashioned.


See the film French website more more about Renaissance.