Little comic #01

This happened the other day outside Tragos. Everybody loves my dog:

Brilliant:

New York City

Lets play a game: Whoever can spot all the mistakes wins a clip round the ear.

Data Moshing

Bin learning how to 'data mosh' this morning. Essentially, it's this:



It's the purposeful creation of that effect when your computer seems to screw up when watching a video.

Although it appears like a mistake, I quite like it as a stylized cutting technique, and you can get some quite odd-occurences with it. It is reminiscent of work like Radioheads House of Cards. Altho it doesn't use the technique, its in a simillar vein with the jiggedty visulization of real things. I think there music is quite fitting to the technique too.. electronic/natural, harmonics down the wire.

Anywho, anyone who's interested, here's a good lesson in how to do it. Altho I think the method could be streamlined somewhat in After Effects, its interesting to learn a bit more about it indepth, so check it out:



Some more : OneTwo

Update on flim

Song: 

Yo. Work on the films going pretty good. I've got almost 2 minutes of animation done and am quite proud of myself getting through that much in less than a month. It's not perfect, its not all lovely and smooth, but it's getting there and it's good enough for what I want, which I guess is the reality of making anything. I haven't done any of the backgrounds, am gunna do them all in one swoop when i'm home.



Am very thankful to have recruited a few helpful hands from the course. You know who you are. It feels good to be able to use those around you as aids when needed.

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Got into David Lynch films recently after happening upon Blue Velvet. Just watched Mullholland Drive, and have got a stack more to go. I really like the way he juxtaposes the 'All American' normal people with the crazy situations that are only fitting in a dream: The young couple is Blue Velvet who get lost in a whirlwind of bad-crazyness. Mullholland Drive does a simillar thing. It kinda feels like one of them films you'd happen upon on a bored wednesday afternoon, skipping school on the settee. Its got all the makings - the sappy music, the plastic dialogue - but then its like its been dipped and coated in this crazy world of David Lynch. I really love it. It goes from being this B-movie, to suddenly being blown away. Its a clever juxtaposition that exemplifies him as a director. For example, the back to back scenes of the two girls rehearsing the scene for her casting audition, then Naomi Watt's actually performing the same scene in the casting audition (warning - spoiler vid) =



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I've got a week left in America now. Arrive back on the 20th, couple of days in London and then back to good ole' Fal.

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Am gettin' really into the way the internet is being used to push things forward. It allows freedom. Check out this post from Ricky Gervais:

What do you think of this? 

A live 3 hour podcast during The Golden Globes. Me and a few chums (like Louis CK, Chris Rock, Karl Pilkington, John Stewart, Larry David popping in and out) doing our own alternative commentary. 

People at home can have the telly on with the sound down listening to us online say things that no broadcaster could get away with. 

No one could do a fucking thing.

The biggest live webcast ever? Who knows? Who cares? What's fun is the shit we might come out with. No money. No sponsor. No guide lines. Fuck me I can't wait. 

Maybe I'll do a non-broadcast practice with The Emmys to see if it works. I'll let you know. 

Yes. Genius.

It seems certain people have the right idea.. Mike Skinner (of the Streets) making music and putting it straight on the web. The South Park guys not caring that the show's been ripped illegally and put on the web - they like it, it means exposure, more people get to see the show, great. & Ricky Gervais there.
There's a whole world of it out there, but what's noticeable with this bunch, is that they're established television people who are pleased to utilize the web. And not just for gimmicky 'tentpole' blogs and webisodes, but actually for pushing it for what it and discovering everything it can be used for.

It seems to me the web & post-modernity go hand in hand. Our generations got a real chance to push things forward. The wealth of knowledge literally at your fingertips. Learn about art movements, learn about forgotten history. It's all out there. The work of this generation is going to be so layered and saturated with meaning and we're all gunna be able to get it.

The net's really gunna push things forward for our generation, and it's gunna be so interesting to watch. When people ask the old fabled question, 'If you could be born in any time period, when would it be?' The futures answer may just be the noughties. Naughty noughties.


New York City

Bin to NYC today. Really liked it, good city. The people aren't rude (as they say in the movies..) infact it's quite a friendly city. It's got alot of character, infact all of America (that i've seen) has. America feels very 'tongue in cheek' to a Johnny foreigner (like myself) alot of the time, you feel it when you look at the signage on the streets, the yellow fire hydrants, the individuality & 'surburbaness' of the buildings.. I think it's because we're so used to seeing the country in films that it's almost as if you're walking on a movie set.

Funnily enough, have been watchin alotta films recently, and just so happens a bunch of them have been set in NYC - On the Waterfront, The Warriors, Mad Men (tv show).. America is one big movie set.

Anywho here's a little poster in honour of NYC and ma boy:


PS - Sorry, but I seem to be the only one clogging up the uni thing with blog posts. Sorreh about that..


Ideas for student film

Have been thinking loads about me student film over the summer. Keep getting little bits of inspiration.

Here's one bit. Someone has been writing a long analysis of each episode of the Office series 1 & 2 (LINK). It breaks down what's clever about it analytically, talks about the story arch etc and what makes it special. It's interesting to read and presents some good narrative strategies etc

Am thinking i'd like to do something 'real' in the same way the Office is. About real people & characters, and what's loveable is that they are real. Perfect through their imperfections so to speak.

BRENT IS A GENIUS


"That bit that opens the first episode may be the moment with the most unfettered joy in the whole of the first two series. It’s almost as if the show is stepping outside of itself for a moment to say, “Hey, isn’t it great that we’re back?” "

EDIT - Bit of inspiration..

Diggin' this Badly Drawn Boy vid, like it's use of mixed media and the happerdash feel:


Am off to New York tomorrow, time to get me Bickle on...

Drawings

Have been drawing alot over the summer. Still mainly portraits & the human figure. Have been reading the book Force and have got to say, I absolutely love it. His teaching of a different way of drawing people really opens you up and makes you realise what a good sketch is in a different sense. I'm still new to it, but am getting there. I'll post more when i'm back from the US, but here's some recent drawings:
This is me gramps
Caroly Cassady, from a photo from the autobiographical book 'Off the Road'


I'm going to New York tomorrow. My plan is to wonder around aimlessly and bump into things I know.. 'Oh look, Central Perk!', 'Oh look, that building King Kong went up!' and so on. While i'm there am gunna get a new sketchbook and draw the people of New York. I like drawing people in different places, cities are good for that. Did the same in Birmingham recently, and also some in the airport. I think it's probably my fave type of drawing because you have to be quick and incognito.. maybe it evokes childhood wishes of James Bond covertness.

Work on the animation is going well but labourous. I guess that's the deal we made as animators. You can work a 15 hour day, then not reap any rewards as you're still not yet over the hill. It's pretty deterring, but you just gotta stick at it I guess, score the goals, win the match. Will post a bigger update on it soon.

Why do we do it..? Because we're control freaks.

Batman

Watched this animated Batman film last night, it was called 'Under the Red Hood'. Gotta say, the whole time I was watching it, I was thinking to myself - "We could do that...". I don't think the animation quality is superior atall to what we could do on the course, however the level of work way surpasses what we have time for/have enough people for.

You can see the trailer on Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2c9MsP3OVs

It's also quite a shame that when the credits roll, you realise this has been one of them 'Directed in Holywood, made in Asia' type of features. Is that the way it is now? I'm assuming it's down to cheap labour (as opposed to artistic oneupmanship), but is that what you're competing with if you're a 2D animator? Do the old studios still exist like they where or is it all now 3D? Wheres Milt Kahl!!

The Riots.

Brilliant:

Uploaded by The Streets on Youtube. Well done Mike Skinner, spot on.