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.

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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!