I will be popping along to Unravel - A Direct Film Animation Workshop at 42 New Briggate on Sunday 14th November 12pm - 4pm before the Handmade Nation Screening.
This workshop looks really interesting and quite experimental which I love. The whole animation will be done on 16mm film and is FREE!!!
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Handmade Nation Trailer
Sunday 14th November 7pm at Nation of Shopkeepers. This is FREE too :)
I had emailed Faythe Levine about organising a screening here in Leeds (there should be some posts way back on my previous blog Raise Your Hand, Raise Your Voice but then got snowed under at work all summer and didn't persist with the project. Anyways, it looks like someone else has had the same idea, which is brilliant. Also, Faythe likes to make personal appearances at screenings of her film as much as possible so perhaps she'll be there. Fingers crossed!
Handmade Nation: stop animated opening title sequence
I would like to have a go at a short opening title sequence, perhaps for my friend Tahra and her short film about Papergirl Manchester.
Private Screening
Thursday 28th October
In the
Studio Theatre
At
5- 6pm
Private screening
Leeds International Film Festival Preview Showreel
Plus
Animation Showreel from the collective talents of Animated Yorkshire
ALL WELCOME
So I went down to this on Thursday and now I'm so very excited about the film festival :) Unfortunately, Kath Shackelton from Animated Yorkshire got stuck in traffic and so we couldn't see the animation showreel, which was the main reason I went there. Oh dear!
Dive! Trailer
I really want to go see this a Leeds International Film Festival!
Monday 8th November 4.30pm at the Townhall
or....
Friday 12th November 8pm at the Townhall
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Monday, 25 October 2010
Mac help!!!!!
Seems silly but I never knew how to take a picture of the screen.......but now I know! Thanks Mac help!
So here's a picture of the screen depicting the shortcuts for taking a picture of the screen.......
iphone apps
I have a new phone :) so I've been looking at some apps that I could use for my photography. I found two really cool apps; Instagram and Muybridgizer. They're both free so I thought I'd have a try at least - what harm could it do?
I've been interested in lomography for a while now. I've always liked the idea of analogue meets digital, although I do strongly believe that we should not dispose of analogue completely - in fact, quite the opposite.
Long live analogue!
4mations
I found a series of animations on 4od called 4mations. The Astronomer's Sun animation is on there which I believe is due to have a screening in college soon. They're only five minutes long but the detail of the animation is astounding. I love the little bear character - he's so cute and both characters show real emotion. I think one of the hardest parts of animation when telling a story is getting across that personality to the viewer. There was no need to dialogue at all, the story made sense without anyone speaking.
There's also some longer animations on there called Wilde Stories which are really lovely to watch.
There's also some longer animations on there called Wilde Stories which are really lovely to watch.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
PaperGirl NY
Papergirl Manchester should be happening in the next few weeks (very top secret date!) and hopefully I will be one of the papergirls. I'm just waiting on further instructions........Hope it doesn't rain.
Secret Cinema presents The Warriors
I really want to get involved with this project. Watching a film in the cinema would never ever be enough again!
Secret Cinema presents Blade Runner
How amazing is this? If only they'll do the Fifth Element......I would drop everything to be there!
Sunday, 17 October 2010
via doe deer
My next collaboration will be with Tahra O'Regan. We're planning a photoshoot based on the idea of a life-size doll. We just need to decide on a location......
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Messing around with Photoshop
I spent a lot of money getting the real CS4 package and it dawned on me today that I still don't know much more about using it than I did when I got it.......
So, I've been having a little mess around with Photoshop tonight. I tried out 'lens blur' which I had never done before, which I think you would only need a little of, unless you wanted an image completely out of focus. I really like the 'lofi look' and so I increased the level of red in the image to give it warmth and added noise to give it that grainy old camera look. Instead of over exposing the image I just saturated it with more colour, heightened contrast and increased lightness.
The text is the usual lower case Helvetica in bold. The words are from a song by Death Cab for Cutie.
Woodhouse Festival
I've just had a chat with Lucile McNeil, the organiser of Woodhouse Festival. She's going to let me know when they start having the meetings for the next festival. So I think I'm going to keep on going with learning animation skills in Comm Tech 2 so that maybe I'm in a position to do an animation workshop when the time comes.
Here's the programme for last year's festival. I didn't go last year, but it looks like something I would have enjoyed. Most of the events are free and in conjunction with Oblong. Hopefully the next one will be even bigger and better (despite funding cuts by this awful government).
Here's the programme for last year's festival. I didn't go last year, but it looks like something I would have enjoyed. Most of the events are free and in conjunction with Oblong. Hopefully the next one will be even bigger and better (despite funding cuts by this awful government).
Friday, 15 October 2010
People I want to work with.....
I need to really think about who I want to work with this year. Hmmmm.....
So far I have:
So far I have:
- Nous Vous
- Oblong
- Test Space
- PaperGirl Manchester
- Secret Cinema
- Woodhouse Culture Festival
- I Love West Leeds Festival
- Pyramid of Arts
- Nation of Shopkeepers
- Animated Yorkshire
- Feminist Archive North
- Leeds Roller Dolls
- Best Joined Up
- Footprint Workers Co-op
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Jan Svankmajer - Dimensions Of Dialogue Pt:1 (1982)
I went to the library today and borrowed Jan Svankmajer's 'The Complete Short Films' (A suggestion from my friend Tahra O'Regan).
These films are so amazingly weird and beautiful.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Footprint Workers Co-op
Hannah from Footprint emailed me back to say she would love me to help out at the zine fayre. I'm on a list of people that will be helping out with on the communal stall at Leeds University. However, each person's role hasn't been decided so she's going to get in touch again as soon as she knows.
She also asked me if I would like to bring along a few zines to show or sell :)
She also asked me if I would like to bring along a few zines to show or sell :)
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Animated Yorkshire
Art in Unusual Places put on an event on Friday as part of Light Night 2010 with Animated Yorkshire:
"Animated Yorkshire hits Light Night!
Former TKMaxx space in Leeds Shopping Plaza, Top Floor.
Drop in workshop 1-5pm Screening of workshop results 5-9pm
Animators from all over Yorkshire descend on a Leeds shop unit and light it up with fantastic projections! Come and add your contribution to our animation and find out more about the work of Animated Yorkshire. No previous experience needed"So, On Friday, my friend Verity and I went down to the drop-in workshop at 3.30pm. I was expecting there to be at least a few people there already, but when we walked in there was nobody there apart from Rozi and Zane from Animated Yorkshire and Zoom Animation. Nobody had been to the drop-in all day. Which seemed a shame as the event was free. However, it was good for us as it meant we had their full attention and we got to get animating straight away. Rozi asked us what experience of animation we had, I told them I was a beginner and interested in stop-motion and Verity, studying retail management, had no experience at all.
We chose to have a go at the "smudge and wipe" method, in which we used black sugar paper and white chalk. Rozi already had the camera set up on a tripod and focussed it on the paper we had secured to the floor with masking tape (to stop it moving and making the animation "jump"). We marked around the legs of the tripod with tape too, incase the camera moved. We quickly had to think of an idea for the animation and the first thing that jumped into Verity's head was a spider. We decided that I would draw and smudge and that Verity would take the pictures (so that we we weren't up and down all the time, which would get annoying after a while).
First I drew a spider, very roughly with no detail, hanging on a spiders web. Verity took a picture. Then I wiped away the first image and drew the spider slightly higher than the first picture. Verity took another picture. We repeated this a few times until the spider was half was up the page, then we decided to make the animation a bit more interesting and drew in another spider, coming down from the top of the paper. We carried on smudging and drawing until the two spiders were side by side. Thinking we should create a purpose or ending for the animation, we decided the spiders were going to fall in love........
I drew question marks next to each spider, as if they were thinking "hmmm who's this? You're new" and then made them swing towards each other to be closer. As they were getting closer, the question marks became hearts and then finally as the spiders met in the middle I drew one large heart in the middle, above the spiders. However, it didn't fit in the frame so just looked like a 'V', so I wiped it away and drew one below the spiders.
I personally wanted to gain more knowledge on the computer side of animation, so at this point we asked if we could put the pictures into the computer and edit them. Rozi, hooked up the camera to the laptop and imported the images into Flash. I've never used Flash before, and I'm pretty useless at using laptops so I was a bit worried I would come across as an idiot. Laptops just do not like me at all, I like a mouse!
Anyways, In Flash we made all of the pictures last one 12th of a second. We were told that usually they would make the images last one 24th of a second, to make the animation more seamless, but we only had a short time to finish the animation and to be honest I like the jumpy quality of stop-motion.
Firstly we deleted the picture of the large heart above the spiders that looked like a 'V', otherwise it would look very odd and plus we had done the correct picture straight afterwards. Then we played the animation to see if we wanted to change anything.
The animation was a little short so we decided that we should repeat some of the pictures to make it longer. We decided that the first 4 frames of the first spider going up the spider web should be repeated backwards and then forwards again, so that the spider went up the web, then down the web, then back up again and then the second spider would come in. All this involved was copying and pasting each frame where you wanted it. It was a little bit like final cut but much simpler.
Rozi mentioned that Flash is usually used for making web pages but she thinks that it's great for making animation, that it's really easy to use. I think she was right as it we created the animation in less than an hour. Plus, if I can use Flash to animate, I could use it to make web pages too. Maybe even something for my own website when I get around to getting one.
So the final thing to do was to make the final frame last a bit longer than the other frames, to show that the animation had finished and then put it on repeat. So we made the final frame last 10 12ths of a second. Then Rozi had an idea, that to give the animation a bit more narrative, she would show the spiders over a background of some pictures of the space she had taken earlier, that she had on a slideshow. The slideshow pictures were of just plain walls and floors and dark dingy corners so the spiders would look right at home there. I don't quite remember what Kath did after this but she explained that she had made the spiders (in white) one symbol and the background paper (in black). Then made the background symbol 50% opacity so that both the spiders and the slideshow pictures could be seen together. Job done :)
I really enjoyed the workshop and what's more, Rozi said that she would be screening our animation later on as part of Light Night. A pretty successful hour if I don't say so myself.
All I need now is to get Rozi or Zane to send me the animation to put on here. I'm pretty sure they're gonna put the animation on the website too which will be cool. I checked out the website and found that for £25 a year, you can become a member of Animated Yorkshire and have access to facilities and other animators for advice and events. I think I'm going to have to join.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Jobless Turning To Etsy to Make Their Hobbies Lucrative
I found this article rather interesting.
I think I would love to be able to pay all my outgoings on the income from crafting. However, as the article states, it's not easy. I like how this article is very honest about making craft lucrative; how it may make you some money, but not necessarily pay all your bills.
I think I would love to be able to pay all my outgoings on the income from crafting. However, as the article states, it's not easy. I like how this article is very honest about making craft lucrative; how it may make you some money, but not necessarily pay all your bills.
"I think a lot of people are seeing that artists by nature are not business people," she said. "Now they are realizing, 'I can be an artist, and I can make money, and I can be a business person.' Going to craft shows would not have the same effect-- I have international customers I wouldn't have without venues like this."
My first stop-motion......
This was my first few attempts at stop-motion. So I kept my promise to myself that I would have a go at animation tonight, however, they leave a lot to desired. I took the frames with my digital camera and the mini tripod I got at the pound shop (No loan as yet....). I think next time I'll lend a tripod from the Photography Department as the tripod I have is only 4 inches tall and it means I have to dangle my expensive, uninsured camera over the edge of a table top. It's just an accident waiting to happen.
I decided to use buttons in the stop-motion animation as they're cheap and I have lots of them. They're also colourful and eye-catching. All three attempts are using the same images, but in each attempt, each frame lasts for a different amount of time.
Leeds Zine Fayre
I've just emailed Footprint hoping to take part in the zine fayre at Leeds Uni on the 13th November.
Hopefully we'll be able to help out at a workshop :)
Fingers crossed.
Hopefully we'll be able to help out at a workshop :)
Fingers crossed.
Brickfilms
Step 1
Set your frame grabbing software to 15fps
Now take 2 snapshots / frames
Resolution 640x480
Step 2
Raise one leg and the opposite arm as shown
Then take 2 snapshots or frames in this position
Step 3
Move the character slightly forward so that his legs are in the position shown
Take 3 frames in this position
Step 4
Take 2 frames in this position
Step 5
Take 3 frames in this position and repeat from step 4 with other foot.
Stop motion
I really need to start doing some hands on stuff or else I'll go mad.
Tomorrow I will create a simple stop motion video.
No really, I will........I promise.
Tomorrow I will create a simple stop motion video.
No really, I will........I promise.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
My new toy
I bought some 120 film today for my new camera, ISO 400. I'm hoping to take some lovely long exposure images on Friday at Light Night 2010.
Practice makes perfect.
The 10 Golden Rules
Send and Receive
Right, so yet another brief.........
But I guess it's one of those briefs that need advance planning rather than copious amounts of work done now. As we were given the briefing, I started to think of organisations or issues that I'm interested in. I've been looking forward to this brief and I can't wait to sort out my voluntary work and 'get out there'.
Brief ideas so far:
- Working with my Mum at the LGI paediatrics liver unit. I rang her to see if they have any form of volunteering at the hospital that I would be suitable for. She said they do hold fun days on a Saturday with the poorly children and their siblings doing face paints and crafts etc. They find these fun days are beneficial to the families of ill children as sometimes the siblings can miss out on fun activities as Mum or Dad is always looking after a sick child. I think this is a brilliant idea and I hope my Mum gets back to me soon so that I can sort out my CRB check.
- Looking at the issue of teenage suicide. I lost a friend a few years back that just decided she didn't want to carry on with life, suffering with depression and took her own life. It's an issue that is close to my heart and has affected me recently as a friend of my brothers recently committed suicide at the age of only 16. It has brought back some upsetting memories and feelings. I would perhaps like to look at organisations that try to deal with this issue or that help the families after such a tragedy.
- Helping out the Irish community. My ancestry is Irish. My grandparents came over to England in the 50's (separately), met, got married and settled down in Leeds, as did many Irish families at that time. I've always been extremely proud of my heritage, however, now that my grandparents have passed away, I feel a bit cut off from that society. I would be interested to see if there is a way of me interacting with Irish community, perhaps through the Irish Centre.
- Working with Feminist Archive North. I'm a feminist and I think it's important to address the issue of sexism. I mean it isn't a charity as such, but it is a cause. I would like to offer my services. Maybe to help market F.A.N. as I only know about it because I actively searched for feminist activity in Leeds. I doubt many people know about it or would even consider that such a resource would be right on our doorsteps.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Friday, 1 October 2010
Crafting Peace Finale
Crafting Peace Finale from Butterfly Works on Vimeo.
I found this at craftivism.com, what a lovely little film.
Ava books
A quote by Barry Purves, author of Basics: Stop-motion via ava books
When Ava Books were around at college on Thursday, I thought I'd take a look at what they had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised, and spend £40 on books (eeeek!). I bought four books from the basics range:
- Animation: Stop-motion
- Print & Finish
- Illustration: Thinking Visually
- Illustration: Text and Image
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