Thursday 6 December 2012

The Monkey Wh-ITS FINISHED!!

"Showing in all cinemas, except that one."


(Finally he can stop using that awful pun on the title) Yes, yes I can, because the trailer...is finished!! I am terribly proud of this, so proud I think I'm getting myself a celebratory biscuit after I've typed this. The animation is done, the voices recorded, the sounds levelled and the jigglier...jiggled. :3 We've had confusion, headaches, software problems and uploading issues but finally, we can sit back and watch a 1 minute piece of animation which I'm very happy with. :3 Its time to roll out the red carpet as we sit and watch the Final Trailer for "The Monkey Who Would Be King"

LINK

Any feedback or nonsense? Want to start throwing things at the screen? Tell me in a comment!! :3

Wednesday 28 November 2012

The Monkey Who Made a Storyboard

So! Today we had rushes for the "Myths and Legends" section. From last time I learnt that filling the middle with writing and silly one liners, isn't the way to go (seen as its an animation, Adam) Anyway! I've gone away and made myself a storyboard filling that section with lovely scenes of action and nonsense, which is what this myth is anyway (I do mean to get a copy of it typed up or something, I will after I've submitted it) But for now, here's a storyboard showing how I plan to get on with things, and get on with them I will :3 (I'm secretly enjoying this) <3

LINK

I've also changed the ending title sequence since this storyboard was made, here's a screenie of what's changed. Following feedback, basically the yellow text wasn't reading very well, and the "KING" part needed more emphasis (I did echo it after all), so I gave it a dark red back and the "KING" part, comes up and pushes the other words away, shuddering as the word KING echos. Adam is proud. :3

"The Monkey Who Would Be LOUD!!"

Monday 26 November 2012

"Kowalski, Progress Report."

"We're only 500 feet from the main sewer line"
"And the bad news?"
"We've broken our last shovel"... - Madagascar (2005) (Seriously?! 2005?!)

Adam, progress report.
Right, 1st off, I haven't blogged recently because I've not had much to blog about which is pretty enough to go on here, things are running smoothly, I'm ahead of what I think I should be ahead off. Mostly been sorting out my written work more so then animation work, obviously I cant really post pictures of words, or you'll be here all day :3 so bear with me, I will be able to resume pretty picture posts once I've concentrated on cleaning my written work up. This is just so you know I haven't ran away on an adventure with some penguins or something. :3

Thursday 8 November 2012

Adam, stop monkeying around.

Didn't get chance to blog this yesterday. :3 (hence the title.) Things for "The Monkey Who Would be King" are going brilliantly, I feel like every bit of animation I do for it looks just how I wanted it too look ^-^.

"More tea vicar?"
This, scene, probably needs explaining, as will the rest of the animation, I might do well to post up a written copy of the Myth to here after I've finished the animation, so it all makes more sense, for now it all looks a little, odd. But I love it that way. :3

This is slowly turning into my favourite and best project yet, and very likely to go on my show-reel after its all over. Until then, I'll continue tweaking things and poking buttons till its done. :3

"-insert shwiinnggg sound here-"
"You can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a demon man, no time to talk."
Anything looking out of place? Dont think demons can dance? Tell me in a comment. :3

Tuesday 6 November 2012

The Monkey With a Devilishly Handsome Vooooiiiccceee

(Late) Feedback!! Turns out I was aiming to make an animaTIC not an animaTION. :3 So I'll have to rectify that sometime soon. But it was a good little project anyway and proved to me I could animate Sun and other characters properly (something I was worried about beforehand)

So next job, take the feedback from that and fix it!! Basically my result was "less critics, more action!!" They wanted to know more about the story, not the daft reviews, which is fine. :3 This also let me use all those props I'd made during the summer, hooray for over-preparing!!

"And the winner of the 2012 Great Gorilla run!! Will be announced after these messages."
Yes, those "Gorillas" look a little suspect, but believe me I am SO proud of how they run, so proud. It really gave me a buzz to finally see them running :'3 Anyway, I just need to make these Gorillas all look slightly different somehow, so it doesn't look like I just copy/pasted them and made them different sizes (there's a tiny one somewhere <3 ) So that's todays job :3 as for the Gorillas, they can finish there race.


Monday 29 October 2012

Rated PG-Monkey

Finished it!! I was really stuck for this brief on Friday, but I had a final brainwave today and managed to finish the Myths and Legends animation. instead of doing an animation though, I've done a funky film trailer with "special effects", "top reviewers" and ridiculous scenes which probably aren't even in the final film, like most trailers...
"The Earth had it coming."
"No no, the Buddha's not huge, he's just in the foreground."


I'm really pleased with it in the end, as I said, I was really stuck on Friday about what to do for this brief, couldn't make anything look good :( but today everything seemed to fall into place, I guess I had animators block or something. :3 Anyway!! Everyone grab a bucket of popcorn, snuggle into the slightly comfortable cinema chairs, and roll the film (trailer)!!

Friday 26 October 2012

Tropical laser beeeeeams...

"That's a funny way to spell safe."
Volcanoes I hear you cry? Yes!! Volcanoes, its another 1 second animation for Animade's "Full Secs" Project. I'm churning out these 1 second pieces, probably because I'm enjoying making them :3 short, snappy, funny animations. This one I'm particularly proud of, looks exactly how I wanted it too. Anyway, enough jabber, here's a link, lets hope Animade like this one too. ^-^

LINK

Thursday 25 October 2012

Coming soon, to a cinema nowhere near you!!

So, for the Myths and Legends Brief, I've got to squash my six minute animatic down into one minute. Solution? Turn it into a film trailer!!

Ok, so its not as simple as that, but stay with me. 1st, I'll need some action scenes, film trailers always have action scenes, and reviews, definitely reviews. Oh, and its gotta be read in that deep film trailer voice, you know. :3 Throw that all together, and you have a film trailer, of sorts. Well we'll find out once I've made it. I think I'm going to enjoy this one. ;D

(I've also done some more work on my 2nd "full secs" animation, but hush hush)

"I didn't know we rated films in bananas, what a country we live in"
Anything else that film trailers always have? Feel free to tell me. D:

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Bewm!!

Started work on another "Full Secs" piece for the Animade project, this one should hopefully be a lot better then the previous one, I'm still really proud of that one, but I think I find this one funnier. :3 I cant really give you many clues about it, a) as I'm writing this from university, and b) as I didn't get chance to check my times and got here 2 hours early. X) but, it did mean I got everything I could done for this little piece. (including blogging, yey!!)

So in short, expect a mini animation within the next couple of days <3

Oh, and here's your clue. ;D

"Oh dear, it seems I've made quite a mess"

Friday 19 October 2012

The Big Top!!

The audience is seated, the curtains going up, its time for Adam and Becky's Big Top Bonanza!!
"Its time to play the music, its time to light the lights..."


We were asked to get into teams of two and create an Ident for the "25FPS@STAFFS" project, the teams began by quickly working out three ideas, then pitching them to the rest of the class. Only with ours everyone seemed torn as to which idea to pick!! So we ended up combining all three ideas into one big animation. :3

"Swingin' baby!!"

We divided up the jobs between us, each making a few props and things each. Then we just built the animations, put them together into one and finished it off!! Here's the finished animation. Feel free to poke at it telling me whats up :3 I'll also include a link to Becky's blog, as she helped a lot with this piece.


Thursday 18 October 2012

*TwangPurrrSquelchBurpOinkHmmm*

"Mmmmmmmmmmm~"


I'm so so proud of this!! My onomatopoeia animation has turned out exactly how I wanted it :3 (always difficult to do that.) Loved making the noises for it as well, no matter how awkward it was trying to get myself to burp on cue, and I never knew how much of a convincing pig I make. All in all, a fun one to make.

Have a look yourself and see if you can point out if anything needs tweaking. :)

LINK

Wednesday 17 October 2012

How time flies...

"B-but I haven't watched it yet!!"

I've finish that mini-project today, and it certainly is mini!! Its a 1 second animation for Animade's "Full Secs" Project, just hope that they like it. :3 I've uploaded and submitted already, so here's a link so you can have a gander as well. Tell me what you think!! ^-^

UPDATE: They've accepted my animation!! *feels good about himself*. See it in their "Full Secs" project (along with other brilliant little animations) here.

LINK

Tuesday 16 October 2012

What time is it?!

*Mini-blog post* Adam's got himself a tiny side project, any guesses what it is? Here's a picture as a clue. :3

You'll want to "watch" this one, believe me. (heheh, I kill me).
"Its number 'o clock?"

Monday 15 October 2012

What?! Pigs don't purr!!

I dub today, animation day, because I happily managed to animate ALL my onomatopea work today!! yes I'm exhausted  but it was worth it, I just need to stick in some final sounds, and I'm winning :3. This little projects a lot of fun really, and to make it more interesting and unique I'm being me, and mixing up some sounds :P Because its boring when a pig oinks like it should :3.  So on with the pictures!!

 Because bins need there sustenance as well. ^-^
"Nummy letters"
"The pig says..."
"Pigs do purr, right?"
Comments are welcome as usual. :3 Dont be afraid to tell me what you think :o

Friday 12 October 2012

On oh mat a pea a?

(I cant spell it so I'll just type it phonetically)  All the sounds, characters and props are ready for action on my next project, on...on oh... sound words. I have "Hum", "Squelch", "Belch", Purrr", "Oink" and "Twang". I think I'm going to enjoy this one, got some good little tricks planned :P until then, pictures time!!



"Dapper attire, fit for any Gentleman/Blob."
"This is important, trust me."

"~MMMUH"


Monday 8 October 2012

The Power Of Nine Tenths

Our 1st project of the year was to portray "The power of nine" in animation, just simple short animations to get us going. Only me being me, didn't stick too the "simple" and "short" parts of the brief. As you'll find out.

"That, is one grumpy cube."
So I began by drawing out a few versions of different prepositions, I instantly realised with a few of them that I was being a bit ambitious, but me being me, I wanted to keep the ambitiousness because I felt like the animation couldn't do without it, things like the traps behind the cube, I didn't want to replace.

I decided that instead of doing 9 seperate animations, that I would do the whole thing in one continuous animation, this would take more time, but I felt would be worth it. :3 On with the storyboards!!



Because I was doing the animation continuously as opposed to making 9 little ones, I thought I'd better do a storyboard, so I knew which order I was doing all the prepositions in. Also gave me chance to draw some cuter cubes. :3

And so the final animation!! To be honest, pretty rushed by the end of it, next time I should really not overshoot to far what's required of me, but anyway, movie time!!

WATCH HERE.

Thursday 12 July 2012

"The Monkey who wouldnt-oh darn it" *stops recording*

Hello again!! Been a while. Well yes, I've been doing literally everything to this project. :3 and I may have gone a little overboard, but its fun!! I've done characters, props, backgrounds and I'm even narrating it!! :) (which I'm strangely enjoying, normally I don't like my own voice). Anyway, have a few pictures. Storyboards on its way next, then I can make the thing!! <3

"Sun Hou-Tzu"

"A Bomb (I promise its needed)"


"Demons, with designer horns!!"

"Possibly the dumbest looking gorilla, ever to be gorilla'd."

"Deaths a keen fisherman you know!!"

"And his desks melted, a bit."

"Pay no attention too the two demons roasting marshmellows..."

"Even a table, can look good."

"NOT a giant fancy screw."

"why does everything have to have eyes?!"

"Bewm."

Monday 11 June 2012

A new project begins!!


MYTHS AND LEGENDS

At 1st I was very unsure about what too do for this project, I was jumping between doing a typical legend like the Greek legends, Hercules and such, and doing a modern day myth like the 2012 end of the universe myth. At 1st I thought the 2012 myth would be fun to do, I reckoned I'd enjoy animating the end of all things, :3 although we have no idea how it was going to actually end. But that also means I could end it anyway I want. ;D

Then my brother handed me a big book of various myths and legends, and I'm flicking through them as I type right now, attempting to pick one I think I'd enjoy doing. The book contains myths and legends from all over the world, Egypt, Greece, Japan, Norse, Chinese and others. But one that really sticks out at me is this.

It's a short story about a monkey who gets a bit big headed. This is no ordinary monkey, its a monkey called Sun, born from an egg on top of a mountain, who was taught by a Wizard how to change form and leap incredible lengths. Only, the monkey got a bit big headed, and tried to take over the world and even heaven itself. its a legend from China (which explains a lot) and I think it fits the criteria of what I wanted to do for this project, I wanted a legend that wasn't very well known, so that nobody else will have picked it. (which is why I've not mentioned to many details about it. ;)

Well, I think I've gone on long enough, sorry but no pictures this time, as I've not really gotten to the drawing stage yet. :3


Thursday 10 May 2012

*Strum*

"...no comment :'3"
"Can Foxes play guitars?"












Another Assistant Animator project, this one is by Chloe Howley and is called "Feeble's attempt." I was given the job of colouring in a few scenes which at first, I thought would go very quickly seen as I had no animation to do. But it took about the same amount of time as animating does! I managed to get into the swing of it however and enjoyed my colouring project, it felt like I was in primary school again. :3 <3

Link: Chloe Howley's blog

Sunday 22 April 2012

Eww, *dusts away cobwebs*

"Hmmmmmm./Get on with it."
I seem to have forgotten how to blog, I hope this works :x The good news is, the work I'm doing for Emma (the one im helping for my assistant animator brief) is going very well :3 Gotten plenty done including animating and possibly the strangest photo-shoot I'll ever attend (we were taking pictures of food as it progressively got eaten).

Time: 6 hours (4 animating, 2 food photo-shoot)

Link: Muncha Clips (May want to mute the sound, i've just realised its abit annoying :x )
Link: Emma Cosgroves blog

Thursday 29 March 2012

Cosmic Cucumbers

"Ah look, the omnipotent carrot of unspeakable wisdom..."
Late post D: Its finished!! The Cosmic Carrot is finally finished, and I've laughed I've cried I've grumbled and mostly, enjoyed making it :3 have a LINK. The quality Isn't beautiful, but things never cooperate when they decide. :x

Time: 3 hours (Final zoom out, rendering, arranging sounds (fun part!!), exporting, uploading)

Tuesday 27 March 2012

"Its a double whammy!!"

"Tadaaa!!"
"Drip"








Both The literacy platform competition AND the Channel 4 Brief are complete!! I'm immensely proud of both of them, especially The literacy platform entry. :3

View "Getting the book invented properly"
View "BloodAndInk"

Monday 26 March 2012

"Ooo look, a heart tree"

"Love gaze, activate!!"
The Cosmic Carrot is so nearly completed!! All thats left is the final zoom out and fade. I've overcame a few problems this time including limbs dismembering themselves and such, but it's all worth it. :3

Time: 4 (making the "love planet" scene.)

Thursday 22 March 2012

"In a galaxy, quite close to wherever you live..."

"Dun, dun diddly dun diddlydiddly dun"
Its so much bother deleting and replacing a background 4 times!! Happily its all done now (hopefully for the last time) and my giant StarCarrot (?) is careering towards the planets. Best move...

Time: 5 hours (2 replacing backgrounds, 2 drawing up StarCarrot, 1 animating)

Monday 19 March 2012

"Making up silly book titles for dummies"

"Looks like a bit of a book orgy..."
My section of the collaboration is finished. :3 I've even finished adding silly book titles (which I think I enjoyed a little too much) all we need now is a giant boulder to clear the scene. D: I'm also really happy with the characters, :x they've been able to do everything I wanted despite there lack of joints/limbs. :3

Time: 2 hours

Wednesday 14 March 2012

BANG!! *chickchick* BANG!!

"And tonight on Cartoon I we'll be looking at, volence?"
One of my more different projects, we are to create a channel 4 advert for a show about a controversial issue, basically not what I'm used to making (rabbits chasing planet hopping carrots through space) so this is a challenge and a half. 3 guesses what my chosen subject is.

Have the 1st version of the ANIMATIC
(the animation has been revised since this Animatic was made, for example I've been told to remove the over comical man.) I'll post a 2nd Animatic once its been made. *Is busy making props for it* :3

time: 6 hours so far (storyboard, making props/objects, animating part of the scene)

Monday 12 March 2012

*Scribble scribble*

"Rainbow books!!"

Here are a few TESTS for the Collaboration brief. This is for the library scene where people are putting "anything" into books, Just look at him scribble!! (very proud of how this came out.)

Time: 3 hours (rigging, animating)

Thursday 8 March 2012

*Insert holy chorus here*

"The pencil of truth!!"
Its so shiny!! All ready to animate my parts for the colab now, enjoying drawing around all these little people ive made :3 (maybe a little too much) The "pencil of truth" is important, trust me.

Time: 2 hours (drawing props for colab)

Monday 27 February 2012

"What a marvellous erm...boat?"

"I say? why is the middle tied up with string?"
Ooooo what could this be for? Lord Clanger has sworn me to secrecy, all I can say is he'll be piloting it. :o

time: 1 hour (its important, trust me!!)

Sunday 26 February 2012

"And on the left you'll see a HOLYIDHWGDQ!!"

"GrrrrrrGrrrrrr..."
Dont worry, he's freindly!! Ok maybe not, this is a snapshot of another planet for the Cosmic Carrot animation, and its suitably annoyed to boiling point. D: Just back away slowly people...

Time: 2 hours (I did the sad and lovestruck planet too!! ^-^)