Episode 83 'Realisations'

I had a rather upsetting realisation this week, that I may not animate again. But this isn't due to lack of interest because that's not true, it's impossible. So I searched my feelings and came to the conclusion that it's simply down to a series of events that began with the clumsy uninstallation of Dragonframe from my laptop. I thought I was updating it, but unfortunately it was for the current version of the stop motion software, not my own, resulting in a jargon filled misunderstanding. Alas, I couldn't save her. She passed away into the Matrix and I was left with nought but a thumbnail upon my desktop that, upon double clicking, would mock me with the following words... I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that. I don't even know who Dave is!

Then I lost my Animation Toolkit armature during the final weeks of University. Whether there was a mix up with boxes or some sort of thievery I will never know, but it was a very good (albeit basic) piece of kit to continue with the animation principles.

Pffft so then I had to make my own wired armature and dress him, resulting in a shabby little ragamuffin by the name of George the Knight. He served me well but his movements were limited and when animating a simple walk cycle his posture slowly crippled with every step. Playback was like watching a dishevelling man timelapse.

It may have been this very set where I could have animated upon!

I got offered the chance to animate one of the puppets from Toby's Travelling Circus as I knew Barry Purves, the director of this children's television show. They were nearing the end of the shoot and a couple of sets were available to use. BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE I AM A BLOODY FOOL. So that was that. I don't know. Maybe I just wasn't destined to animate, which was what one would assume you'd go into after completing an animation course. I enjoyed it, of course, but clearly I enjoyed 'making' things more. Working with props and sets is now my forté. So in that retrospect, I have pondered over the idea of turning part of the basement into a workshop for home projects. Hopefully I could even use part of it for animating! Perhaps it's not as glamorous as it sounds (or looks) as it would be a table with a lamp. But it's dark, out of the way and it is rather a nice lamp.

Now, I realise that I have been bantering about not animating, and I'm sure that you simply cannot get enough. But you're being greedy. So I'll show you a video that has inspired me (five years ago actually!) to animate more in my spare time. This is mainly down to the puppets. I am no armature expert or I'm not wallowing in money - so a good strong puppet to animate with will always be hard to come by. But Zombie Zombie by Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann is a damn fine example of using your very own toys *cough* I mean, action figurines purchased merely for the use of their poseable bodies. Sheesh, who buys toys at our age huh? Ha, definitely not me.

I have been very lucky to be a part of the Newzoids team and production. Although it seems to be a slight taboo to make the comparison, it's still best described as a revamped Spitting Image. But there are people who worked on Spitting Image who now play major roles in the upcoming comedy puppet show. Whilst working on set during the shoot, amongst the directors, puppeteers and hilarious sound bytes, you get a general idea of the tone of the show... and good grief is this going to be a hoot!

Click here for the full article from The Guardian. 

And this series is released in a month! AND people have heard and read about it, which finally gives me solid evidence of something I've worked on. Hopefully I'll even have my first credit. I don't think it's registered how big of a show this could turn out to be. It's an ITV prime time piece of ass. So on Wednesday April 15th at 21:00... tune in and see what I've been up to for the past month (and continuing up to the end of May!). Which, incredibly, will tie in to my prediction of when the new Star Wars trailer will be released. So we're all happy bunnies.