June project update

It’s about time I gave the newsfeed something to chew on so here’s a brief update on work completed recently.

I am currently working on a few larger projects which may not be eligible to show online when complete, but I do have a few smaller ones that I can offer insights into.

Firstly, I made a fast turnaround animated video about English as a foreign language for the education sector. With the audio provided, my job was to create engaging visuals fitting to the context and enhancing the message (whilst adhering to the client’s preferences). This was animated and put together in around 4 days.

The second project was storyboarding a music video set for release this Christmas (I know, it flies around!) I worked from the provided script to board 2 minutes of the soon-to-be animated video, keeping to references requested by the studio. It does feel strange drawing snow scenes when it’s (occasionally) warm outside! Here’s a compilation of a few images.

You’ll notice the images are somewhere between production and presentation boards at this stage.

The next month should be quite busy with an animated video to complete and several pitches to work on…plus Glastonbury festival! Sketchbook updates to follow. Enjoy the summer!

2013 animation demo reel

Here it is! Includes my work from Geronimo Productions (formerly Monster animation) in Ireland and several other jobs. I’ll be uploading some other animated clips later (including a Planet Cosmo reel on its own…I did well over 10 minutes of footage for it so plenty to choose from!)

Back to England

My time in the U.S finally came to a close earlier this week when I landed in chilly London. I had a great time out there and the final trip was to Sedona AZ, place of new age hippies and crystal worshippers! Stefanie and I had our auras read…they were impressively accurate! The photo is a good souvenir too.

Work is busy although I have a few jobs finishing soon so time to FINALLY update my animation show reel. It’s crazy for me to think back how much has happened in the past 12 months..this time last year I was in a pub in Dublin, just starting to get to know that fabulous city!

So web site updates to come soon and a few pictures (including one drawn on the plane) in the meantime.

Sedona sketch

Goodbye Las Vegas

New years perspective

It’s easy to get jaded with the world around us. I often think ‘why can’t I appreciate what I have more often?’ Why does it take something bad to happen before you realise how good you have it? Watch this, I bet you won’t feel the same by the end of it.

Hopefully videos like this make you feel as fortunate as I did after watching. Take a minute and think how ridiculous this is! Okay, introspective moment over

Galway and Moher

This weekend I’ve been away on the west coast of Ireland to see what Galway was like. It’s a small town (technically Ireland’s third largest city!) with a string of pubs and a harbour, but it’s fun when it’s not raining!

We escaped rain on Saturday and were even treated to some sunshine whilst at the cliffs of Moher, an added bonus! We stopped off at various other places too, so I did a few sketches. The one below will probably get the grey wash treatment when I’m back home. It’s of Dunguaire castle (pronounced doon-gu-ran).

Dublin summertime

Ireland seems to have finally received it’s much needed summer with the past month being generally warm and filled with blue skies…I could get used to this! The reason I bring it up is it affects my day so much, what with a walk to work along the canal, lunch there and walking home along the tree-lined avenues. If it’s sunny, it’s so much better!

I have around 3 months left on the first series of our children’s TV show. It’s coming along well, lots of great work being done by all and the animation is really flowing after several months of getting to know the characters. We’re at the stage where we don’t have to think what to create so much and interpret what the character would do. It’s good fun!

In non-career related news, I’m heading off the the USA for Christmas and New Year. It’s all because I met a really great girl over here and she’s now had to return home due to her visa. It’s tough being away from her but she motivates me to work hard and inspires me to capture things I see around me, so she’s worth every ounce of waiting! I’m really looking forward to a Vegas new year too. Should be fun

I thought I’d give a little intro as I’ve sent her a few things in the post and one was a watercolour I did of her. I can’t believe it was so cold that we needed coats only a month ago! Crazy weather, the world’s ending I tell yer.

I love that orange bag! Works well for this picture too

Ahh Dublin!

Last weekend I visited one of my good friends, Jan with my friend from work. We met here in Dublin as he was working here too (but for a much shorter time) and I can honestly say he’s one of the nicest chaps around!

He now lives in Berlin so we had a great 3 days exploring the city and enjoying the mix of old and new. It’s a place like I’ve never experienced before and is still holding on to its bohemian image pretty well (and it’s lack of money but that’s all a bit boring).

After a manic few months I’m cracking on with various loose ends and the day job, which is getting rather exciting as we see the episodes come together. I’m currently animating a very sweet and gentle scene which, coupled with the music and lovely backgrounds, is going to look really top notch. I believe it’ll be out on TV in Ireland the end of this year and playing into early 2013. Then many repeats we hope! It’s looking fantastic and I’m proud to be involved.

Here’s a couple of sketches from recently, one drawn from the Ryanair flight experience (although I love them really!) and another doodled quickly at the end of lunch after another encounter with the most excellent yet quite intense paella man on this green isle.

The thousand yard stare from a delicious food stand and queuing intensity to make even Brits proud.

An Irish update

So here’s the update I’ve been meaning to write for a while now! I’ll try and be a bit more regular with the posts, it just threw me out of sync with a new country, job, people and all.

I’ve been here over 2 months now and so far it’s whizzed by. When everything was new the first few weeks felt like I fitted a lot in and made the most of every day, but as you get used to your surroundings and fall into patterns an extra effort has to be made to continue to make the most of the situation!

First of all to work, as that’s why I came here. I’m working as a 2D animator (using Flash) on a children’s TV series and it’s going really well. The main area of note is that it’s more fun than I expected! We’ve just ramped up to full blown production right now, so no doubt it will get more stressful occasionally, but the way how the team has been introduced to the workflow, series style and characters has been pretty impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing the episodes roll in and watching the various parts form together.

I’m enjoying the animation process and learning a lot about the production pipeline and what the director is looking for (especially when you consider the production schedule during the planning of your scene). It’s a constant lesson in visual communication! One of my favourite parts so far was recently. We’ve been working on the many jaunty songs plotted throughout the show and each one is like making a music video for kids…about space! There’s rockets, high energy and generally a load of fun. I go into my 5 year old mind for around 8 hours a day! Maybe the youthful nature of the work will affect my looks as the years progress…

National pride down near the docks

As for Ireland and living in a new country, it’s not so different to back home. There are enough changes to make it interesting but not too many that it’s hard work to sort out life here. The evenings out are really great and there’s a general friendly nature to people when you’re having a pint after work. People talk outside their ‘groups’ which makes nice change to where I’m used to.

I’ve had a visit to Belfast and a fair old look around Dublin by now, but nowhere else much yet. I’m planning on doing some trips in the coming months. Hopefully there’ll be a bit of sun too! Oh and my new place is cool, I get a relaxing stroll along the canal on the way to work in the morning with the southern hills in the distance, so a pretty good place to be situated (especially for greyhound racing or the Aviva stadium…they’re practically next door!)

That’s about it for now. So far it’s all going well. Next stop, finish a few side projects and get some video work under way!

Swift update: more to come!

Hello again world! Bit of a blip on the updates, but lots has been going on and I’m setting aside some time this weekend to post a bit of a ‘life update’ plus some pictures of the scribbles I’ve done outside of my work (mainly silly stuff…but still!)

All is going well in Dublin, we’re currently working our way through one of the animated songs. It’s a lot of fun and my section will hopefully be signed off tomorrow…in time for Guinness and a trip to the cinema (Avengers!)

The other day I trekked across town to attend life drawing at Trinity college…but I was late! So instead I enjoyed a bit of lovely weather (sort of). Talk soon!

Trinity college, Dublin

The beginning of Ireland

Hello from Dublin!

Just a brief update. I’ve begun work at Monster Animation and the first week was really great. A fun team and the project is going to be fantastic, it has me hooked! When I’m allowed to post preview work I will, but for now I can tell you I spent all day testing out and pushing poses for various characters. They’re fun to animate too (I already have a personality for one of them carved out quite well in my mind!)

Whilst looking for more permanent digs I’ve been staying at a hostel. There’s been a couple of others here who are working and in the same boat as me, so it’s been really good fun. We’ve been out for one drink most nights (kind of hard to escape here!) Everyone has been top banana. Fun times out with the international crowd this week too!

Tomorrow is St Patrick’s day so it’ll be out and about to see what the craic is (see, so local already). A three day weekend too, so time for flat research and getting jobs done. Here’s some pictures from my phone if you’re feeling nosey.

Wandering around the bars

The walk home from work. Nice part of town!

Guinness o'clock with the studio boys in a swanky old bank