Sunday 24 March 2013

1927: The Animals and Children Took to the Streets

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from The Old Market Theatre in Brighton, in which was a short article about the 1927 production of The Animals and Children Took to the Streets. I have only recently heard about this company and their dark production that integrated animation projected on stage. I read that they had sell-out shows around the world and hoped I would be able to see them someday. Then this email was advertising their show in Brighton and advising we get in quick before they sold out, so I quickly bought a pair and went to the theatre that Friday.


It was pouring it down with icy rain and despite leaving on time, we still managed to be late and were stuck with seats behind people with large heads that blocked my view, but I was not disappointed. It was an amazing show. So convincing was the acting that my guest did not realise that the person playing the male caretaker was in fact a woman.

The stage was bare but for three white screens on which the animations were projected. These animations were simple and dark, beautifully transporting me to the dreary dank world that the dubious characters inhabited. The movements of the animated characters were limited, not unlike the Flintstones cartoons and other animations from that era where animations were made more economical and less complicated. This only added to the charm and surreal feeling of the whole show.


The actors faces were painted white, much like mimes. This made it easy for them to become new characters at a moment's notice and helped to make their world seem darker and sinister, where everyone's faces lack colour and life.  


My favourite character has to be the caretaker (played by a woman) who falls for the ever optimistic Agnes Eves. His is the only character who does not speak on stage, but instead has a voice-over to let the audience into his gloomy thoughts. He spends his life sweeping the dusty floors and spraying at bugs - all achieved with the seamless animation creating the dust clouds and jets of bug spray.

It really is a must-see show. Does it have a happy ending? Well, I suggest you go and see for yourself! 

(all pictures are from Google Images!)

Tuesday 12 March 2013

In my second year at university, each student in my class had to pitch an idea for an animation and a few were selected to go into production. I was lucky enough to be picked and I directed 'Shoes!'. You can have a look at the animation blog for behind the scenes material: http://shoesanimation.blogspot.co.uk/

The film could be interpreted in many ways but essentially it is about an old man who finds a new lease of life in a pair of shoes. It is a stop-motion animation, heavily influenced by 1950s design and old MGM musicals. Here are some stills from the film:







You can also watch the trailer for the animation here:

 

Or for a better full screen quality, visit our Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/48040025

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Illustrations: Edgar Allen Poe


This was an animation project at Brighton City College that I so enjoyed making and have always planned on taking further. We had to make characters out of broken toys and then design a story around them. I found a poem by Edgar Allen Poe for my two monsters to become characters in. Below are two concept drawings, influenced by Tim Burton's 'Vincent', which coincidentally was also inspired my Edgar Allen Poe! And below those are two images of how I planned on animating the film; paper cut-out seas with the only light coming from the moon, which was actually a torch! I plan on returning to this project in the future.






Illustrations: Help I've Got Hair Monsters!

 A collaboration between myself and author Liesel Bernardo. 'Help! I've Got Hair Monsters' is a children's story explaining what head-lice are and how to deal with them, using fuzzy circus characters. Here are a few illustrations from the story.

These images are a mixture of my own pen drawings and found objects and textures collaged together in Photoshop. 



Illustrations: Little Things That Make Me Happy

In much of my work I like to use as much texture as possible. Whether it is animation or illustration, I love to use lots of crumpled paper, ribbons, buttons and anything that makes you want to touch the work!

Below are illustrations based on little things that make me happy, such as sitting with a cat on my lap or funny memories of my mother spilling pumpkins all over the floor of a supermarket.

To make these images, I cut out images from books and magazines and my own drawings and set them up in a dolls house along with doll furniture. I lit the scenes through the little windows of the house and photographed them.