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I've started working on my degree film to be, still busy with the train project (almost there, almost there, maybe I'll post something about that in few weeks). After being all 2D and digital, I decided to try cut outs under the rostrum camera for that. Just so it's different, really, and because my studio in college is really freezing in the winter, so it's nice to hide in the darkroom (yes, these are the best reasons I can come up with to explain my choices about degree film. It is, if someone thought I take that degree seriously - I don't. Come one, I am studying a-ni-ma-tion. How can I be serious about it?). There is a separate blog for this production for the assessments purposes, but I haven't been updating it much.

Here's some pictures for stuff I've been trying for my degree-film-to-be:

(as you can see, there is smoking again, there is usually some smoking in my films, any problems with that?)

In the meantime, because working on two big films and dissertation (ok, I'm not doing the last one, but I should have, god, I should have...) is not enough, Cat Bruce and I got involved in another extra project: helping Cindy Derby on animations that are to be in her puppet performance. You can read more about that on her blog. Here's some pictures from that (not sure if I'm allowed to put them online or not, really, but I like them), animated by Cat Bruce so she did the real magic, but I designed the cut out puppet (oh what a complex design, isn't it?), did some lighting and camera stuff, so there's like 20% of my work there!

I think they look awesome. Well done Cat, she's doing some crazy magic.

So yep, that's how it's going. I find myself thinking of Poland again, can't wait to see Warsaw in December again (first thing I miss about Warsaw is its Chinese, and then my friend there. Ultimately, my friend out with me having Chinese...). But back on Earth: keep going girl, you really have to finish these films!

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Bear Bone's new music video "Diving Bell" by Live Circus is out online.
I've been collaborating on that, doing the animation.



also, check the making of, I'm there animating some mice:

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I've just put some "work in progress" material online: it's one of the scenes, from the animatic up to the final version stage. I like when people are sharing their pencil tests, and to compare them with the finished animation, so I hope it's interesting:

Also, I have started a separate blog for my degree film progress documentation. Yep, that's another film. There's not much there yet, but just to let you know: degreeetude.blogspot.com.

And, here's a drawing I did this evening, feeling down, so I though I should do something cheery and disneyish.

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A long long time ago, during the first project we did in the second year, Alan Mason shared some of his legendary wisdom with me: "if you think that something is boring, it probably is". Now I find myself spicing up every little scene I work on, crazy camera movements or other insanities. It's his fault, if anyone wonders. All his fault. If not his support, who know what kind of crap films I'd be making now.

Few news:

My "train" film in intense work in progress, fell behind the schedule so badly that it may go on my big ego :)

It's all looking great, that's a positive, but taking well long. Well, that's probably what you get when you're making an 8 minutes long animation on your own.

In the meantime, I think I mentioned that before, I've been collaborating with Live Circus on new BearBones' video for their single "Diving Bell". It's been good fun, new experience, greenscreen and puppeteering mice. For an animator, it was great to get to go outside my dark closet, see real people. The premiere's planned some time in October, somewhere in the Emerald City of Glasgow.

Also, apparently-hopefully the film I made a year ago ("but it makes me happy") is gonna be screened as a short before two anime features as a part of "Scotland Loves Anime" festival (2nd weekend of October Glasgow Film Theatre and the 3rd weekend Edinburgh Filmhouse). Cool, ay?

Above all that, I have just started my final year at Edinburgh College of Art (eventually managed to get that far, yes, I can't believe it either), they've been bugging me with some dissertations and graduation films to make, or something of this ridiculous sort… such a drag to be honest, but I'll need to give it a thought some time soon.

So yeah, all sparkling and shining.

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dying, but not dead yet,

on the road to El Dorado,

in love, but not fallen

keeping it balanced on this roller-coaster,

I'm fine, thank you.

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First things first, someone twitted this article and I thought I may have a look, I'm to graduate next year this time, so it's good to know if there's some jobs going on, and… I found my own name there. Wow, how cool is that? I mean, someone bothered to SPELL the whole thing right!

Due to various reasons, even though I almost killed myself animating like crazy, I never managed to finish the TRAIN project for the planned deadline (that would be around now). It's 90% animated, and I'm working on the colouring now, the new plan is to finish it by September so I can concentrate on my graduation film and dissertation. Thanks for everyone who helped, and Claire, my main character number one fan - she says he reminds her of Gambit form X-men. I liked X-men, so I guess it's cool.

I really should update my website, or even make it serious (this article in the list, it made me think: "what if people really are looking at that website and it all looks like I'm a mental 14 years old?"). But I think the film is a priority right now, so the site won't change any soon. I can't even look at it myself anymore.

Right now I'm abroad where it's 34°C in shade right now. I colour my film, where the action takes place in winter, but it doesn't help. I'm to stay here just one and a half month more, so far my main place of residence is the cellar where it's a bit colder. But I share it with way too big spiders. Especially that they outnumber me greatly. And the Internet's only on the attic, where I think one could boil the kettle without putting it on.

oh flower of Scotland, when will I see your like again?

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a wee line test i just did, my so called main character, or at least leading male, doing a little dance :)

well of course it's just not inbetweened properly and he's not gonna do it in the film, but i thought it looks funny.

I just discovered a big scene that I haven't done at all... it amazes me how one can miss a whole big scene in the film she knows by heart already...

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scene 23, the conductor, line test i did today...with voices... makes me wonder why the hell was i lip synching it when in most of the frames her mouth is out of shot. and i actually drew her whole head... i'm becoming so pro, haha. not really. i'm way behind the schedule, that's sad, from good news: i'm finished with everything else at college so no distractions, and i'm going to see Gogol Bordello in Glasgow soon.

More good news, I'm hoping to recruit an extra animator for the film, my underclassmate Roza. we'll see soon.

There is more progress (or so I believe), but i don't have time to organise and edit it. I'm doing some hard core key frames like I never did before, that's me being organised. I may get some here later. If i have time.