The Mysterious Traveller

This blog post is dedicated to all the brave souls who have succumbed to the tyranny of flu (non- gender specific). For I have become a bed ridden blancmange and therefore missed vital studio time where I have been practicing the art of silicone moulding. But we are not here to wallow in my snotty pit of carcoon, as I have been inspired to divulge into the world of stop motion after recently watching an episode of the 1984 animated series of  The Wind in the Willows.  This was, of course, when Cosgrove Hall was in it's prime. But despite the closure of this legendary studio, the area surrounding this part of Manchester is still teaming with animated life;  a new hope  to young graduates. I have had the privilege of meeting and becoming acquainted with Barry Purves, director of The Wind in the Willows , so it's quite a different experience when watching these animations again because they feel even more personal (due to my career choice). I know about the length...

I was lost beyond words in my previous post. My ability to think straight was barred by the iron fist of corporate Disney as they took over something that meant a great deal to me. I shouldn't sound too negative, however, because fans should praise the fact that Lucas will not write and direct another Star Wars film. But there is a lingering thought that troubles me; Disney's franchise over Star Wars (SW) could lead to SW Princesses or SW babies (cartoons and nappies), which will destroy this galaxy once and for all. I am still open minded about this fiasco and haven't quite had time to really ponder the outcome. All I know is that there is a great disturbance and I have three letters for you: WTF. I had recently volunteered to help out with the FLIP Festival in Wolverhampton, which would also be my  first time visiting the festival. After receiving news that The Money Tree would screen here it felt like I needed to attend, regardless of the volunteer opportunity. It h...

So July has been a month of good news and countless propositions for me. Some have been honourable with a multitude of career prospects, whilst some have a more personal touch and giving me titles such as The Godfather and 'that guy who filmed our wedding'. Either way, even without getting the job down in Kent for the Animate and Create Studios , I deem it a productive month for networking and getting that little bit closer to freelancing glory. I shall talk about the interview later, however, because I have an incredible announcement to make. I was told by The Man  not to promote this until the 23rd July, which has obviously been and gone, but I have literally just this moment uncovered the online festival programme with the line-up so I have no qualms whatsoever in confirming that The Money Tree animated film has been accepted into the Bristol Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival .  Yes, the final major project I was involved in (alongside three of my esteemed a...

Regardless of the numerous dreams of whimsical tomfoolery I have, this post shall avert from the storytelling I usually indulge in and keep true to the original reason to why I started this blog; animation. I have been rather busy in my chosen field of expertise, hence, yet again, why I have been absent from the parallel universe of status updates and new blog entries. I shall, as always, fill you in on Tom's Thumb Productions and describe how my next animating venture should be a very fun and interesting chapter to look into. Enjoy... The Software  - Dragonframe I have been debating for quite some time upon which animation software I should invest in and it has been between the two (seemingly major) players, Stop Motion Pro and Dragonframe . When I began my degree in stop motion I was introduced to Stop Motion Pro and therefore it would be the obvious choice after becoming accustomed to this programme over a three year period. However, after listening to peers and readi...

George the Knight - pilot episode The grand opening of my blinds (for the first time in three weeks) was a short lived novelty as I am now preparing to animate episode II of George the Knight, forcing me to deny any source of natural light whatsoever. Thus completes my journey towards the dark side of animation. In relation to my puppets (i.e. George) I recall some enlightening words from a Chinese boy; ' First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him'. Now, we all know what happened to Gizmo, and that is why the environment I create in my studio needs to stay absolute. Rule number one: you do not change anything on set, hence my compulsive necessity to block out the sun. Rule number two: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club. However, before I could begin animating today there was a slight incident with George. I speak for most animators when I describe this armature problem as possibly the most frustrating of all: the...