January 11, 2009

RECAP

IN THIS BLOG I’D LIKE TO DO A QUICK RECAP OF EVERYTHING FROM LAST TERM AND THEN EXPLAIN A BIT ABOUT MY PLANS FOR THIS TERM SO THAT HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING WILL MAKE SENSE AND I’LL BE ABLE TO MOVE ON.

I STARTED LAST TERM WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING A SERIES OF FUN AND PLAYFUL ANIMATIONS THAT I COULD COMPILE INTO AN ALBUM. I WAS INSPIRED BUY A GUY I KNOW CALLED STEVE DUNNE WHO MADE A SHORT AND FUN MUSICAL ALBUM CALLED ‘PHOTOGRAPHS’ IN WHICH THE SONGS WERE, LIKE PHOTOGRAPHS, LITTLE SNAPSHOTS OF THINGS… (see the film above)

I WANTED TO DO A SIMILAR THING  BUT USING ANIMATION TO CAPTURE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS.

SO I DEDICATED THE FIRST TERM TO EXPERIMENTING AND TESTING AND MAKING AND CREATING IN THE HOPE THAT BY CHRISTMAS MY IDEAS WOULD HAVE DEVELOPED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE A BRILLIANT AND CLEAR VIEW OF EXACTLY WHERE TO GO NEXT AND I’D BE ABLE TO GET ON AND START PRODUCING THE ACTUAL PROPER ANIMATIONS. 

AS IT HAPPENED IT DIDN’T WORK EXACTLY AS I HAD PLANNED. 

TIME WENT BY SO FAST AND WEEKS WERE LOST WAY TOO EASILY. BEFORE I KNEW IT, IT WAS CHRISTMAS AND INSTEAD OF HAVING A CLEAR AND FOCUSED IDEA, I FELT LIKE I STILL HAD LOADS OF VERY SEPARATE ONES THAT DIDN’T REALLY RELATE TO EACH OTHER.

AROUND THIS TIME I WAS TALKING TO MY FRIEND TOM MORRIS WHO STUDIES GRAPHIC DESIGN AND HE WAS COLLABORATING WITH LOADS OF ARTISTS FOR HIS PROJECT. I WAS WELL INSPIRED. UNTIL THEN I WAS CONVINCED THAT I WANTED TO WORK ALONE BUT SINCE, ALL I’VE WANTED TO DO IS COLLABORATE. THIS WAS THE INSPIRATION I NEEDED. IT TOOK A FEW WEEKS, A LOAD OF CHATS AND QUITE A FEW IDEA CHANGES BUT EVENTUALLY I HAD THE FOCUS I WAS LOOKING FOR.

THIS WHOLE TIME I’VE BEEN WORKING ALONE AND YET I’M SURROUNDED BY SO MANY EXTREMELY TALENTED ARTISTS WHO HAPPEN TO ALSO BE MY BEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

THE ALBUM I WANT TO MAKE IS SIMPLY A SERIES OF COLLABORATIONS WITH VARIOUS PAINTERS, ILLUSTRATORS, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ETC. WE WILL GET TOGETHER AND, WITH EACH ARTIST I WILL CREATE A SHORT ANIMATED PIECE.

HOW? .. WELL ITS VERY SIMPLE REALLY. I’LL MEET UP WITH THEM AND WE’LL SHARE IDEAS, COME UP WITH SOME FORM OF STORY. THEN ONCE THAT’S DONE, WE’LL CREATE THE APPROPRIATE ELEMENTS AND I’LL ANIMATE IT ALL. 

FOR NOW I INTEND TO COLLABORATE WITH THREE ARTISTS ON THREE ANIMATIONS.