Bond type.

Hand crafted typography for the location cards in Quantum of Solace by the rather awesome tomato Its about time someone did something really interesting with the location cards, as Bond has always had very strong routes in motion design with its intros, so Im really glad their carrying on the graphical appreciation forward.

Knitted animation and games

An animated music video which has been entirely made from knitting each frame ooooh I can feel the pain ust looking at it. Its beautiful :)




Little Big Planet is getting all the buzz at the moment in the gaming world and rightly so its about time ps3 showed invention into the next gen gaming world.


Now that my animation is pritty much done I have had time to play some games, starting with the atmasphoric and distrubing Dead Space. Its about time someone took the survival horror genre to space.

UP!

Pixar is it at it again, twisting the content of their work into unlikely areas, this is no exception an old man is the lead in an animation for kids.

Waltz with Bashir and other things..

Waltz with Bashir is a documentary animation.

PLOT:One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can't remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images.

Im really looking forward to seeing this animation, Its always great too see an animation really push the genre even further and at the same time tackle adult themes.




Ive always been a fan of fellow manc Danny Boyle his new film, looks like true heart breaking cinema, enitally when I heard the plot i had trouble understanding where it was going to go but after hearing him talk on the beeb I was sold. Im really jealous that america gets it before us.




Here is a nifty little music video directed by Andre Maat & Superelectric for the band Kraak & Smaak it uses the a really novel use of flick books, I kept thinking of the printing costs while i was watching it.

trick r' treat

Michael Dougherty directed this awesome looking horror flick, its exactly my cup of tea, as its similar intone to EC comic books and the Creep Show.



warner brothers has apparently messed about with the distribution so who knows when were going to get it here in the UK. their also hints the film will go straight to DVD, which is a real shame as their are so many terrible horror films getting distribution.

I got an awesome book about the filming of the movie which you can buy over at amazon.

The film was based upon an animation Dougherty made while studying 'seasons greetings'



This really is a similar tone to the Johnny Caddilac story im fleshing out.

ticking along..

Ive set up camp at the parents as i have too look after my little pooch for a bit (i didn't want her to go to the kennels). I have changed some aspects of the animation to fit in with the overall tones of it. The trees aren't all going to be the same color and will tie more to the scrap book feel I want it too have. Ive also made the lighting better :)











Didn't mean to post this on here arr well carry on...

this is possibly the best zoo ever

magdalena bors is an amazing find creating landscapes out of.. well anything







Lisa Mitchell not only a great talent.. I love this video its so simple yet effective :)

Right..

Ive got to keep on trucking with this blogg.


I am currently ill at the moment. So when ive not been compositing ive been rendering or watching JJ ABRAMS new tv show Fringe



While I am enjoying the show I still cant think of Joshua Jackson as Pacey from Dawson creek.

Im also watching the new heroes, im wrestling with it and my final conclusion is its better than the second by a little bit, but I really really hate it when writers have obviously thrown their papers up in the air and see what lands on top. Their is just to many character changes.




With Chalie Kauffmans new movie about to come out



I watched Adaptation for the first time, I have no idea why I haven't seen this before I love Spike Jonze I think Nick Cage put me off for some reason. This was by far my favorite cage performance followed by Raising Arizona.

Björk new video is immense everything has been thrown into this. She just constantly churns out great videos.




Also when Disney was scary




Carlos Lascano does the most wonderfull animations crashing several style of animation together to form the below, i always like the way he does the eyes.


The Can from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

Lots and lots to tell....

But I haven't had time, patience people. their is videos, photographs, test animations and lots more

this will little tease will have to tide you over for now..

Sorry

Now that ive got a website Ive neglected my blogg site. here is a few things ive found recently









Also I thought the Kung Fu panda intro was awesome, and probably one of the best thing about the movie.



Also my anticipation has been building up for the Watchmen movie so Ive been watching the animated series


If you havent seen the trailer yet, I suggest you do

My Winnipeg

This kind of reminds me of my first animation not to be taken in pawn. Its like a bash of visuals that translate a time in the directors life. i




Here is the director talking about this movie.




Now I have seen these I really want to watch his older film The Saddest music

Burning Candy

This year has been quite a good year for Leeds art with guest speakers in the first year their was none. First Marvels Barry Kitson gave an inspiring insight into the work of the marvel artists. Chris Osburn showed up the week before to set up the Burning Candy Exhibtion featuring James Jessop, Sweet Tooth and Cyclops.






The talk was exstremely inspiring and entertaining the part I liked the best was where James divuldged into his first experiment with exstacy, I could see the principle squirming in his seat. most amusing.


Also thank god someone has done something with that awfull castle thing outside our college, they need to keep this up.

Stefan Sagmeister

I got 'Things I have Learnt' for my birthday and I have become obsessed with his typographical style, it really reminds me of what I was doing during my foundation course at the start. As I am not really graphically minded in terms of creating flat based type id prefer to make something more physical.

Ani wall

Im sure everyone in world has blogged this by now, I saw a section of this at the start of the year, but this is truly amazing. All I want to know is how the hell did he clean up all the paint after had finished.

bread head

Ive seen things done like this before, but these look so realistic and im not sure if I dreamt about putting a human in chicken style packaging or someone else did it, but this has cemented that its not my idea any more. :)

Indiana Jones

Was not as bad as everyone else made it out to be, but it wasn't that great. I went to a packed cinema at midnight in leeds and the biggest cheer was about john Hurts character being born in Leeds.

Portfolios

Recently I have been trying to come up with a better way to display my work, I dont really feel that sliding my work into the big black coffin that is your standard art design portfolio will communicate my work very well.

I have been looking at the Academy of Art University's portfolios and they make it mandatory that their students should make book portfolios.

I want to do a book format which can be cheaply done but at the same time but custom built in places.

current addictions

Grand theft auto

I don't own a 360 so I have to go back and play my brothers copy which I am probably going to do tomorrow. I have grown up playing grand theft auto games, they have come a long way from the top down look. The game is probably, actually most defiantly going to be the biggest selling game of all time.




Also tomorrow night im going to watch Iron man, the first of the onslaught of summer blockbuster, Im not excepting much, which is a good thing as hype usually always kills a movie. Ive always been a fan of robert downey junior and the casting couldn't be more perfect for him being in this film.


more super hero action, I also dubious about this one The Hulk Ang Lee's earlier effort at bringing the un happy green giant to out screen was a mixture of art film and under whelming action which equals, a quite boring film. this new hulks seems to be more in key with the 70's and 80's tv show which I used to love watching. So fingers crossed the green man will smash.

current addictions

DEXTER

My current new obsession in the world of TV is DEXTER, what I like the most about the show is its like patrick Bateman from American psycho but better. Hes totally disconnected from the world, and he knows it. The intro is beutiful and clearly shows the sinister edge of character without showing anything graphic.

holy shit...

This looks promising.... So im carrying on D&AD not only for Auroa but for a band from nashville who are supporting Radiohead in Denmark!





Holy shit Part two:

James Lester my snappy snapper boss, has recently had his work selected for Leeds film festival advertsiseing today, Odly we were talking about doing a video, and guess what Leeds film Festival wants a trailer= Matt and James making it, touch wood.

BAD LUCK

Got Lost in Lost in la mancha the other day, loved it. I realy want this film to get made as I feel it would be one of Gilliams best pieces of work if it was made. This is the first and I think only documentary of a film being un made.

HELLBOY 2

No one but me is excited about this movie out of my friends. I love Guillermo del Toro's work he has terrible humor but has an eye for monsters and fantasy.

This poster is done by the legendary Drew Struzan who was responsible for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones posters. Sadly I wont be able to get one of these....

Mario Addict

I am currently hooked once again to all things nintendo.... curse them!!!

JEFF BROWN

I got his new book a few weeks ago for my birthday, I like the way he has gone back to his auto biographical books, I think he still doesn't realize the reason people buy his books now is because they are interested in him.

the spirit

Frank Millers Take on will Eisners the spirt I dont know what to make of this, it looks nothing like Eisners work, it looks like sin city 2, I do like frank miller tho, but I always felt eisner had more soul in his work than miller does.

Speed Racer

Ive been following this for a while, and my first impressions were, weird. I remember watching speed racer when I was a kid, but the effects on this are....insane, who cares its not real, thats not the point, the point is to capture a manga's energy and pace.

AMAZING!!!

I might have got my work experience sorted with MAINFRAME. (sorry for the lack of blogging) its my birthday tomorrow, and ive been working hard on the dorito brief, sooo lots to tell.

here is what MAINFRAME have done....

animator...

animation...

But I really like these indents for E4, their awesome. really gutted because I really was thinking of something similar when I was trying to do it in the first year, but they obviously have more money and more people than me.

Noah Harris







the cardboard blowing up is amazing!!

More things by this animator



javascript:void(window.open('http://www.noahharris.co.uk/files/gimgs/Quicktime/MTV_H_03.mov','Quicktime','resizable=1,menubar=1,width=512,height=396,top=150,left=150'))

Forced Perspective and pencils

I really like the idea of working with false perspectives, doing all your tricks within the camera is something that appeals to me.



Also I watched this film recently, it was super cheese but really reminded me of never ending story, the thing that grabbed me the most was the title sequence. Some of the camera and textures' are really fascinating.

Just found a new studio

I really love the camera movements, and vary of style and animation they use.

batman animation, looks pritty sweet.

More tunnel vision

When thinking about the project one of my main inspiration for the tunnel vision was david lynch's use of the car head lights in the lost highway.


also on another note just found this animation that uses james jeans art work.




On a geek not I also recently got the new justice league movie. Im really looking forward to just chilling out and being a nerd rather than slapped in front of after effects 24/7

Food animation.

I dont know why but i can see the potatoes being the police.

skeleton dance

More 1st person.

Animating to through someone's perspective to get their feelings across. even if he is pissed.

they know better

Been looking for this animation for a while now EACE ON EARTH (1939) MGM - directed by Hugh Harman

The idea of the forest animals telling stories about the legend of "Man" - chilling. One of the greatest cartoons of all time.

Another influence

On the animation

Inspirations

Just watched the fisher king and realized one of the aspects that needs to be incorporated into the animation, normality, here in this scene robin william is following the girl he loves, the dancing shows how smitten he is.




And this is similar to the tunnel vision.




excited think ive cracked it.

DUDUADUDUA +brown day

I can barley pronounce the name but this is one of favorite sites, and the idea of cakes that are themed would play nicely into brown day.

More inspirations

Sarah Roper's use of materials is something I am very fond off, while i use after effects as a tool to create an animation I am very keen to create a sense of craft.

The use of newspaper, is something I am considering for this animation, their are also several other methods I am considering.








Emiel Penders



The main aspect of this animation that appeals to me is the use of live footage with animation which is seen in the opening segment.

No Country for Old men

First film of the year ive seen, wish i saw this at the Leeds film festival alas i missed it, amazing cinematography and I have never liked tommy Lee jones so much, the acting was amazing. This perhaps has my new favorite villain in it as well. Thank god the Coen brothers are back. Go see.

Influences for the character

I have been looking into influences for our character, and i have found the most fruitfull source of inspiration lies within graphic novels, especially more human based stories, from the likes of Will Eisner, Adrian Tomine, Daniel Clowes. The characters are exstremely self indulgent and perfectly reflects out character. I can imagine this is these are the kind of books she reads.




Also, I think the style of Adrian Tomine, perfectly reflects the characters personality, simple and direct.

On keeping with the idea of revealing things to their simplest. I remembered this 1980's movie by John carpenter called 'They Live' , this scene shows the main character discover that these sunglasses he wears reveals the truth.


I also imagine her mind to somewhat function in this way, everything fits.



Slinky Pictures style of colliding animation with live action has always been an influence and nothing works better than Dads Dead, and this is perhaps the angle i am wanting to take the animation.



With D&ad initially i was worried about the 60 seconds limit, for introducing a character. Then I remembered this animation done for playstation 2, its exactly 60 seconds long. The pace is blistering not giving the audience a chance.

Its begun....

So today we have officially started the D&AD briefs.  Finally settling upon the the animation brief has enabled me to just get down to it.  This will also be my first collaboration, fingers crossed it goes well. 

Some of my favorite animators and animations are below. 

Slinky pictures is an animation company I am highly inspired by the use of film and animation colliding together is really where i want to take my animations, DADS dead clearly illustrates this. The animation above is collaboration with David Shrigley who also worked with Blur for Shylona. This once again mixes both Slinkys and Shrigleys dark and amusing take on life.




U.P.A animation is my absolute inspiration for wanting to do animation, everything about their work is perfection, the use of type the simplistic settings, great character development and a childish sentament, at the same time the stuido still made other dark and more adult cartoons such as the Tale Tell heart.




Spike Jonze work is highly inspirational, I think the main reason is he like gondry makes the impossible plausible not only with his worlds but with the techniques he uses. Much like Michael Gondry.


And of course Saul bass, who cares if everyone copied him he is the master, i prefer his more tactile approach to tittle sequences which can be seen in 'Bunny Lake Is Missing'



Which leads onto the contemporary master Kyle Cooper his work usually out does the work of the films he works for.



Another one of my more bizarre inspirations is cinema intermission commercials.

TOM HANKS AND I

Before I go sleep, i think its time I did an update

I am about to finish the bizarre christmas series of illustration, they are made up of rice, I am going to run a few A3 prints of these as well.

I also went to manchester the other day, blog coming soon.