Today I'm going to Birmingham to take part in an inspiration session. Although I've been picked to inspire, I have a feeling its going to be an exciting day.
http://www.channel4.com/4talent/ten4/inspiration-animation.htm

Not least because of it's five am start. Can I really hear a cuckoo or am I just tired?

St Clements













Tonight it's the opening of two collaborative animations that I have been working on since October. Hotel de Pinhey was made in collaboration with Jocasta Lucas and an artist's group at St Clement's Psychiatric Hospital, and BowHaven, was made with a mental health user group in Bow. There's going to be free Russian beer which makes some people itchy, and three performances.

Our Premiere night

I've got a photograph to put here (sweet relief) to give an impression of the premiere last night at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green. a bigger venue than last year and a bigger crowd too.
Our old man was fourth in line of seven films. Simon Dye noticed that there was coincidentally a broad theme of home. It was really good to see the other projects, the production values were high and they were all compelling. The film Home stood out to me as being a little bit different, moving in a quirky way. Broken was very accomplished, I expect the director is going to make many more films. Tree was beautiful and Hinterland was a dark film, with a very particular atmosphere. In the context of those films it seemed as if The Old, Old, Very Old Man played the role of an animated breather. I couldn't really tell how it went down, I was holding my own breathe abit. I think it was fine. Here we are just beforehand:



Wendy, Shelly, Simon Dye (who worked on the sound effects) and Kathrein my lovely producer




and another one with me in it. (plus my bag and coat)

LET me out please.

I can almost tidy up the bathroom and leave but when I said that we had finished, it was another lie, we have forgotton the ERDF title card.

It's done!

It's hard to believe but the old man is in the bag and on a beta tape at the film fund office.
Last wednesday I went to Marek's studio which is in Beak Street. He had made some changes to the whites to bring them all into line, we spent an hour putting the sound on, a clock, some new titles and laying it off to miniDv. Kathrein made a Beta tape and took it to the Brady Arts Centre on Friday. Its a beautiful moment, though now I've got a cold, isn't it always the way?

Momentary momentum












The area of animated film is a bit trendy, not momentarily I hope. The Parasol Unit on Wharf Road is showing Momentary Momentum, a celebration of lines, and drawing and motion. The show has a great many inviting and thoughtful works, both installations and as part of two programmes. It was a bit like breakfast in a Hotel in Europe, I'd like to revisit to make sure I didnt miss anything. One work that stood out was 8 Possible Beginnings or The Creation of African-America, a Moving Picutre by Kara E. Walker. I remember seeing Kara Walker's gallery shadow projections a long time ago, and it was certainly striking, but seeing her work in moving pictures, where she is in evidence operating the puppets and speaking the parts, her explorations of lust, fear and dominance become very potent.

The finished sound

I am really grateful to Fonic for their considerable help at short notice. They've made it look easy too. It being a low budget film, I think I had imagined that it would be enough to make or locate sound effects to match what was on screen, (although the sound on my previous films have been considerably more than this) but when it was assembled and played through proper speakers it just didnt match the picture. Partly because the sounds, including the voices, weren't sitting in their proper location, also the introduction of atmos, is if anything more important on this film because there are no backgrounds in most of the shots, just funny lines here and there. Thanks again to Fonic.