June

Hello,
Here's a bit of footage of some work we did for Hemisphere and NWDA. The films are on our vimeo page, but this makes for a nice people watching exercise. I've spotted at least 18 different private worlds hovering over people's heads.



http://www.vimeo.com/12818802


Also, we've finished another film for Oxfordshire DAAT. This one is about Cocaethylene and has a great little soundtrack, courtesy of John Wallace and Roy Medhurst.



http://www.vimeo.com/12801940

Big Chip

Hello,
It was the Big Chip awards last night and it turned out really well.
We lost in the category we'd entered, but Craig and David got a commendation for 'Bon Appetit' (should have won)and Kilogramme received the Anthony Wilson Original Modern Award.

I didn't bother to look at the bigger awards, because I thought they went to winners of other sections. So it was a bit of a surprise when half way through chatting to Dave, the lights hit our table and Kilogramme's name was read out.

Everyone says it's good one to get and it did feel nice. I'm really enjoying how things are coming along at the moment and have to say it's mainly down to people like: Claire Grey, Steve Maher, Craig, David, Sam, Luke Marsh, John Hedley, Jon Doyle and Christian.

We have, are and will be working on some really good stuff this year. Salad days.

Cold Caller

Hello,
Here's a public information film we've just finished for Euro RSCG Riley.
It's to warn OAPs in Wales about rogue traders and distraction burglars.
We based the design style on '101 Dalamtions' and used Flash and 3DSMAX to animate the main character.
I think it's one of the most polished things we've ever done.
Animation was provided by Claire Grey, Craig Knowles, David Ridges and Christian Johnson.
Design by Craig Knowles.
Backgrounds by Chris Coady.
Ink and Paint by Sam Jones and Gill Biddle.
Direction by Jon Turner.
Hope you like it.

http://www.vimeo.com/12078006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/may/25/doorstep-crime-in-wales-cold-calling-campaign-cardiff
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/10156198.stm

Latest

Hello,
Here are two films we've just made for the NHS in Oxfordshire.
Out of the blue, we got a call asking if we could make something about Mephedrone, Ketamine and Cocaethylene, featuring a porcupine.
We sent over a few designs and story ideas and the rest was one of the smoothest jobs we've ever had; no committees, no last minute changes, no crowbarring of content where it won't go. The only glitch was a re-record of the voicetracks, but that's nothing, relatively speaking.
We hope you like them. Cocaethylene will be along in a couple of weeks.

http://www.vimeo.com/11645963

http://www.vimeo.com/11626637

New Year.

Hello, here's an ad Christian Johnson recently directed for us.
It was made for WRG and has a pleasing, bouncy, campness to it.
Hope you like it.
http://www.vimeo.com/8757261

Other stuff.

I didn't get through to the next stage of NorthWest Vision's digital shorts scheme, unfortunately.
It's a shame, because I thought it was a nice, tight script.
On the plus side I'd already built some of the models from Craig Knowles designs, so I'll keep it as a pet project for now.

Christmas

Hello and merry Christmas.

Here's another post and a little something we did in the last few weeks.

http://www.vimeo.com/8329840

It's an ad we made for FrenchColwell and as you can see it gave Craig and David a chance to try something nice and fifties looking.

I'm really happy with it and surprised it only took the three of us ten days.

~

There's another ad coming in the New Year from Christian Johnson, but in the meantime we're trying to think up plot lines for a character Craig has designed.

I'm really into 'Six Men of Fortune ' by the Brothers Grimm, but as Terry Gilliam used it in 'Baron Munchausen' I'll have to keep looking.

~

SHORT FILM STUFF

The script weekend went really well. We were taken through the mechanics of scriptwriting by a script editor called Andy Ross.

He showed us how to work out what kind of script we had rather than writing one to a formula.

The most enjoyable part was probably the 90 minute speed pitching session.

On the downside I realized pretty early on that I didn't have a working ending, but on the upside that everything else did exactly what was needed.

If I timed the pitch just right I could finish before the none ending and leave on a huge cliffhanger. Which was lovely.

I think we've fixed the ending now and added a few more twists, but I'll find out in mid-January.

Hello,
Here's another post and something we worked on recently. It's called 'Age of Heroes' and was a pitch for MIP in October.
After Firestep took 'Akhenaten' over there last year they were asked to do something biblical and something classical too. They decided to work up tests on 'Theseus and the Minotaur' and 'David and Goliath'.
This time everything was put together at Newton st, apart from the sound which was added at Hullabaloo.
Working from Steve Maher's designs, Kilogramme, Christian Johnson and John Hedley modelled, textured, composited and edited the two pieces. Chris and John took on the majority of the animation.

http://www.vimeo.com/7917057










http://www.vimeo.com/7917538

We think they look pretty good and like what Vray and Z Brush can do.






Other news:

We've put in for next year's Digital Shorts through NorthWest Vision and made it to the next round.
There's a script development weekend on the 6th and 7th so I'm looking into riddles, old children's rhymes and The Golden Bough in order to firm up a tricky middle section.