8518

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.

8488

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.

8412

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?

8376

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...

8359

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.

8041

a lot had happened. i'll probably skip some important at the time bits.

so, first Krakow, OFAFA - animation festival in Poland. it was so much fun, I have learned so much about Polish animation and I'll absolutely try to get there next year as well.

then BAFTAs in Glasgow - I did not win, but it was a valuable experience in a charming company.

I have the voices for the train project and i'm pressing on with animating. I was up north in Highlands recently visiting my friend - Cat, whom I sometimes make to animate for me as well. The time there only passes at something like 2 frames a second, but still looks so smooth.

Right now i'm in the process of switching from the pc to mac, i've been using both since i started uni, but now i'm biding farewell to pc. it's also a jump from CS2 to CS4, and it takes me a while to get used to. i only realised to what great extend i customised my old CS2 - it'll take me a while to get all the settings right. so there will be a bunch of odd frames in the sequence I'm colouring right now…

In the summer, I may get to work in my hometown's youth cultural centre teaching basic animation. that should be so much fun! But first I've got the film to finish. and the essay for Jonny Murray, due in 3 weeks, i'll start at some point next week…

there is some festival action going on as well, but my mind's not in it.

8313

significant facts and numbers:
today, on the 8313th day of my life, Jonny Murray said "kind of" 298 times during his talk. one of his highest scores so far. the lecture itself wasn't that bad either.

"Monster in the toilet" got nominated for Bafta New Talent Scotland it's quite cool, isn't it? There's also four other people nominated from my department, so it's gonna be our big eca party!

Next week I am going to Poland for OFAFA (animation festival in Krakow), where two of my films are being shown, I also think that would be fun to look a little into Polish animation, which I know very little about.

listening to Julia Marcell, drinking Stella, which - I think - smells. I don't like it.

And there's also one thing I'd like to do, that I've always wanted to do: get on the rooftops and sit there, look at the Edinburgh city from up there.


In all that mess, I'm tring to get as much animation done as possible for the Train project.

8310

lots of stuff happening around the production. I have found a sound designer (Pete Smith) and a composer (Gareth Griffiths), who so far showed to be really helpful, understanding, hard working, keen and... no, they are real people. or Ms Schizophrenia got me this time.



We did some vocals recording and I hope to have a proper animatic done soon.
It was a really exciting time for me, I need to learn to pretend to be a professional better. And I was depressed by my absolute lack of directing skills - something to work on in the future.
All my unprofessional crew of actors was doing quite well. with the exception of one couldn't help touching the mike... but that's what you get working with almost three years old.

In the meantime, I carry on animating and colouring. I wanted to share this test when I had the sun shining through the blinds, I love this effect :)