The Mysterious Traveller

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...

It finally happened. One of my hair brained schemes actually paid off, and it might not even be awarded or met with such enthusiasm as my own. Actually, if there were anyone who understands this achievement of mine you are either a guy who admires female Marvel characters or the nomadic tribe who discovered cheese. I shall elaborate... For those who know me may of heard of my frivolous tendency to have intricate and bizarre dreams, all of which I cannot explain. For those who know me a little more may recognise my erratic notion of enhancing said dreams by eating cheese before bed time. Once thought a myth, I now deem it conclusive that heavily churned dairy products really does assist in the mind bending creation of the best dreams ever.  Now returning to the topic of Marvel. I have seen the Avengers Assemble film twice in the cinema and think it is quite simply the best superhero movie ever made. Joss Whedon   is truly a legend amongst us; we ar...

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...

George the Knight episode one is on the brink of achievement. It is only a short animation but will hopefully capture the style and attitude of the character so that you guys can empathise with him. It is worth mentioning at this point that George is rather a bitter chap, true at heart but also lazy in nature. He really doesn't like the fact that I have to animate him, and that he cannot move by his own accord. And this is the reality of being a stop motion animator; when the puppets do not cooperate it can jeopardise the entire production. Luckily for me, George held together until the very end (apart from one hand snapping from the wire 'wrist'; one of the most annoying re-occurrence in animating history). I have released a promotional poster of George the Knight  which is just something to set the mood before I upload the final film. As soon as my camera has recharged I can complete this last sequence and thus give George his pilot episode.  Coming soon to a sta...

So I'm going to try out a couple of videos to spice up these blogs (which essentially means I am getting far too lazy to type). But it also means I can make them in quick succession, even if there is little to report on. At the moment I am directing all my power back to animating, therefore, I ought to show samples of any that I have done. I have decided against this; if I use the next few days to bosh out 30 more seconds of animation then I deem the first episode finished and then you may see it in full. For now, check this little video out... So aside from whatever it is I am talking about, you get the general idea of what my 'home studio' looks like. I think I have made it sound much more professional than what it actually is (especially when attempting to impress a lady). In fact, my insane devotion to staying in my room and working has become a social problemo . So much so that I may have forgotten how to woo a girl and even found this very arousing when I went to t...

For the love of my Jesus Action Figure, I have been neglecting you. It has indeed been over a month since my last update, resulting in this outburst. I could perhaps present this post in my characteristically rambling manner but I might erode the keyboard. Therefore, I have decided to upstage the writing and give you a show and tell publication. Here is the month of March shown to you in the visually simple medium of pictures: March 1st  Wall Paint became official traders. March 2nd Designs for my good friend Peter Kitson concerning his idea for an animated show called 'The adventures of Baron Womb and friends'. March 3rd Wall Paint's first client for the Leamington Spa area. Simple but effective.  March 6th Drawing practice: the real reason why I worked at the go kart track for all those years. March 9th I became the proud owner of a Hasbro Star Wars toy stash from the 70's. Only I may touch them. March 10th A design put together on Photo...

Three major topics to cover in this post and possibly a couple of minor ones. I will start with the bad news (which might not be necessarily bad BUT temporarily it sucks). It seems as though my Brothers band is having some problems with the single and the track is on hold until further notice. Essentially, this means that the music video is not going to happen for now. If you feel that you want to relinquish your anger upon someone or something I will enclose my Brothers email address just for you.  Now on to the good news; I have finished painting my friend Ian's wall! I ought to elaborate or else this story will literally be as boring as watching paint dry. Ian and his girlfriend Leanne have been blessed with a child last October and I began painting the baby's room with butterflies, pink vegetation and a gender confused giraffe (named Jessie to bridge the gap between male and female).  A terrible thing, taking photos after dark (lighting is awful). Me and my friend St...