Batman!

A quick sketch of a rather robust Batman. I enjoyed the old 60's Batman, which was repeated eternally when I was growing up. It didn't take itself seriously, and neither does this sketch.

Animex Festival

Last week I had a great time - as ever - at the Animex Festival. From humble beginnings 11 years ago the event has grown to cover two locations in the North East of England, (Middlesbrough and Newcastle), and includes talks on film, TV, game animation, workshops, screenings and parties.

Its a chance to catch up with some old friends, and make a few new ones too. This year I gave a talk at the Animex Pro event on the subject of setting up a studio in the North. It was a chance to pull out some really old cine films from when I was a naive boy who believed he could be the first man on Mars.

The event was well organised, and well attended with delegates from across the UK.

Next week sees me in Birmingham for another talk - http://www.animationforumwm.co.uk/news-display.aspx?id=212

The event is free to attend, and open to animators and designers of all levels, or indeed anyone interested in establishing a studio-based business, and includes free drinks.

There'll be opportunity to ask questions at the end of the talk, plus the chance to chat with fellow animators in the fantastic surroundings of the The Studio's city centre bar and restaurant. Directions to the venue can be found here.

The event, assembled by AFWM and BSeen – an entrepreneurship programme for Birmingham-based final year students and graduates – is the second of two joint events in early 2011 looking to help young animators on their way into their career.

Hope to see you there.

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