Episode 31 'Graduation and beyond'

From left to right: Ashley Lightfoot, Sam Ware, myself, Steven Cummings and Katie Bruce

There is no denying the end now. Graduation has come and gone and it all seems inevitable that I actually do need to grow up and gain some responsibilities about 'real life', not to mention the issue of financial stability. I have to admit that I have not been very pro-active on the job hunting front but I just had to spend the last few weeks in Stoke-on-Trent being a full-time student and tear the place apart!

Graduation itself was a pretty grand day out. Barry Purves took the stage for a terrific and inspiring speech for the next step in a students career once this day is over. Everyone looked very smart in their Hogwarts-esque robes and it was generally such a great feeling to stand up and get cheered on by faculty, friends and family. Barry also recieved his Doctrine and posed with us all for some great photos. Well done to all..!!!

The Stop Motion and Animation group fronted by Barry Purves himself

In the final week we spent time tidying the house for the new tenants, packed up all my art equipment and research models (toys to you and me) and dump it in my car. Luckily for me the damn thing managed to work with the help of the RAC and a desperate push start. So I am now blogging from my home in Leamington Spa and fighting the temptation to not eat all the junk food that the kitchen cupboard has to offer.



Zabrina the Zebra

  

Hand stitched puppet for the Theatre Production


I have managed to keep busy, as I have mentioned before, with random projects throughout the past month or so and I plan on keeping this up from home. The Blackbrooks Zoo project for Signal 1 radio station is really hitting off; our group managed to get a free trip to the zoo and mingle with the animals for research and talk to the zoo keepers about any characteristics we could implement into our animation. We were even allowed into the penguin enclosure and get pretty close to the friendly little critters! The picture above shows my plasticene mock-up of the model zebra which will be the basis of the puppet for this animation.

We also were lucky enough to have an interview with the two presenters from Signal 1, Perry and Louise, about the project and was aired on their breakfast show the following morning (I shall try and find this interview and post it up on here). But they were very happy with the animal models we had to show them and are in full support. May Jay, Alex Young, Jon Colenso and myself are carrying on with this project and will keep the progress photographed and recorded.

The second photograph is flyer of a theatre production called The Shadow of your Hand and next to it is the puppet I constructed for the show. My friend Benjamin Barry Watkins is involved with this production and basically needed three of these puppets as props; I have also been asked to make more props for other productions (for a cheeky fee ofcourse!)

So this is essentially what I shall be doing for the next stage in my life - small projects that will culminate to not only help my CV and show reel, but also to keep up my practice of this fantastic subject.



I hope you have not forgotten the Mortal Kombat animation that is in the pipeline...
Picture courtesy of Steven Cummings