Jesting About launch

Monday night saw me crammed into the Live Theatre in Newcastle for the launch of Jesting About, a new BBC initiative to find new comedy talent in the North East. The event was supported by no less than Bob Mortimer, and several key producers and commissioners from the Beeb.

It sounds like a really interesting project, with several different opportunities on offer. Info here, and here.

Bob gave some insights from his side of the desk as a producer at his indi, Pett Productions, on how he likes to see submissions - he prefers a visual sample as close as possible to how the end product would appear. Seems like a lot of work but it probably jumps a lot of hurdles do that.

The Possibility of Impossible Dreams

When I'm not animating, or running a business, I like to write. Its a great way for me to unwind from the stresses of the day and let my brain explore other creative avenues.

So far I've written a sitcom for radio, (which was commission by Radio 4, but didn't quite get as far as going into production), a couple of drama series projects, and a few shorts. But whats' really got me by the throat over the last year is trying to write a novel.

When I was young I used to dream of writing a book. In fact I remember, at about the age of ten, writing a big list of things I was going to do when I grew up. The first thing was writing a novel at the age of 13, which lead to me eventually buying WH Smiths, and ultimately being the first man on Mars. I dreamed big! I gave little thought to how I might actually achieve all of this, but that's why childhood is so brilliant; reality hasn't yet crept in.

Over the years the plans for domination of the stationary world has been abandoned, as have any hopes of planting by boots into the red soil of another planet, but the thought of writing my own novel has persisted.

I've tried once or twice over the years, but the furthest I ever got was about 30 or 40 pages. Then I'd lose confidence, I'd put it aside of a while, and when I came back to it I'd want to start all over again. It became a cycle of failure.

Then last year, while on holiday in Scotland, I read Stephen King's 'On Writing'. King gave me the confidence, and advice, to try again. So on September 1st 2009 I picked up my latest attempt at a novel, a story called 'Yard Boy' which was a mere 10 pages at that time, and I started writing. I worked on it every day and didn't look back. One thing King taught me was how the fear of failure dogs every writer, and its usually only a day or two behind you. So I worked on it every day, even when I wasn't sure where I was going. I put my faith in the story and the writing process, and didn't dare look over my shoulder.

Three months later I had completed the first draft, a staggering (for me) 333 pages that had taken me by the scruff of my neck on an uncharted adventure into unplanned corners, unexpected places with characters who seemed to write themselves. Yes, its an old cliche that the story writes itself, but that's how it felt to me. I was a chronicler, along for the ride, but never truly in control.

Almost a year later I've recently finished a fourth draft, and have plans for two sequels. The title changed recently, thanks to an insightful observation , two pints of beer and a curry, with friend and author Curtis Jobling. Its now called 'Sorrowline', book one of the Timesmith Chronicles.

I'm still amazed that something that I did in my spare time is now - to me - a complete world populated by people I know. The process has changed me, its made me realise that sometimes the mad dreams of a 10-year-old boy are possible.

Perhaps there is still hope for that trip to Mars after all.

Change of title - The Timesmith Chronicles

Met up with Curtis Jobling last night for a curry. He was up in Saltburn doing another school project.We spent the night talking books, especially about his imminent launch in January. We also discussed Yard Boy and he pointed out how the title reminded him of Yardies -

During the 1950s, the British Government encouraged immigration to the country to fill existing job vacancies. Within the Caribbean community, new arrivals from Jamaica were sometimes referred to as "Yardies" due to their perceived lower financial status, though the term could also be applied with nostalgic affection. In the following years, gang violence or behaviour on the part of Jamaicans became known in wider British society as "Yardie culture" and the participants "Yardies". The terms "Yardie gang" or "Yardie gun violence" were largely used by the British media to described violent crimes in London's black community. The gangs in London are specifically known to have occupied and operated in their infamous grounds of Brixton, Harlesden, Stonebridge, Hackney and Tottenham.

I'd never really considered this, but of course first impressions really count. I was aware that a Yard Boy in America is someone who cleans out your yard or garden.

I told him that it was part of the Timesmith Trilogy, something he really liked. He suggested using that up front, and have the title as the secondary line. He suggested The Timesmith Chronicles, and I suggested Sorrowline.

So its not Yard Boy any more, its The Timesmith Chronicles, Book One, Sorrowline. Sounds good. Yard boy will still be used inside the book, but not as the title.

Anatomy of a Werewolf

I thought I'd post a few drawings from the Wereworld trailer we finished in September, just to shed some light on the process. The images started life as rough pencil sketches which are cleaned up until they resemble inked artwork. I used to do inking for comics using a brush and ink, so just using the pencil is a little bit easier. The principles are the same of course.
Once I've got the pencils up to the level where I know they'll scan well as solid blacks I move over into digital manipulation. The images are scanned and the contrast tweaked so that the blacks are really black and the rest is a clean white. Then its time for some computer colouring. The animation was quite stylised and didn't need too many drawings to pull off the finished piece. For example the shot of the claw was just one drawing which was chopped up and animated.

The chest rip was three drawings: a before and after, plus a hand. These were animated using After Effects and a simple mask to reveal the cut flesh does the rest.


The screaming face was two drawings - one for the face and one for the teeth. Both were stretched and distorted in After Effects to give the impression of movement and growth.

Wereworld trailer live

Back at the desk

After two lovely weeks away I'm back in the studio, chained to the desk on a beautiful day, watching the last embers of summer fade away. Why can't the weather work weekends?

I've had a rather enjoyable start back, drawing with pencil and paper like they did in the olde days. I'm working on a trailer for Wereworld, Curtis Jobling's debut novel. Its the first time in a while I've done some comic-book style work and it feels great.

It should hopefully be finished by the end of the week.

"Well, here we are."

A quote from Kim Stanley Robinson's brilliant Red Mars is as good a way as any to begin a new blog. Here we are indeed, but what's it all about? Why am I starting a blog when the blogosphere as a whole is in something of a decline. We have Twitter, what am I thinking?

For the last few years I've posted bits and pieces on the Qurios blog, but this new blog is intended to be a bit more particular to me, my passions for animation, art and writing, and a few other random things along the way. I don't know yet how often I might post, or if any of it will be worth reading, but lets just give it a go and see, shall we?