A week at King Bee studios

This week I am doing a week placement at King Bee animation studios which is based at Elstree studios, London.

Today is only my second day so I haven't got an awful lot to recount but thought I would start keeping track of what I've been doing.

Despite feeling like a country bumpkin and completely out of place yesterday morning (must remember not to smile at fellow commuters) I am feeling much more comfortable and settled today.

I was ignorant of the history behind Elstree studios and I have to say it is very exciting being in an environment that has so much going on. I want to nose into every room and studio though to see what is being made behind each closed door. They are currently filming the new series of 'Episodes' so I am hoping to catch a glimpse of Matt Le Blanc! "How yo dooooin'?"

King Bee studio is fairly small but full of people on every bit of desk space, animating, creating concepts, logos, pitch bibles etc. It is really encouraging for me to be a part of an environment like this, a welcome break from working from home!

Chico and Rita

If you have already seen it and love it or are yet to fall for it...Chico and Rita is currently on iplayer and is one you won't want to miss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01cpckc/chico-and-rita

It is a Spanish animated feature-length film, with English subtitles but please don't be put off, it's definitely worth the reading! The story of Chico and Rita is set against the backdrops of Havana, New York City, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Paris in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Chico is a young piano player and Rita is a mesmerising singer, music and romance unite them and they chase their dreams, and each other, from Havana to New York and Las Vegas. Following the tradition of the Latin ballad, their story brings heartache.

It's a must see!

From the official Chico And Rita Website about the style:

"One key creative decision for the film-makers was the animation style: how real; how graphic. Explains Errando:  “We had to investigate what quality of movement we needed for the film. Live action is very precise. Animation needs to invent another reality. You move a character using other ways, it’s another quality of movement. You have all these feelings that an actor is giving you, on the other hand we want the poetry that animation can provide. We spent about six months discovering the right balance.”

Assembling a team of animators capable of animating Mariscal’s  designs was also a challenge. Says Errando:  “In a film you need great casting, and in animation the actors are the animators. We chose some of the best animators we could find, all of them had a lot of experience. But then we had to ask them, ‘Hey guys, forget everything that you have done in your life. Here you’re not going to use all the tools that you’re used to. Forget about stretch, squash, anticipation, and start animating in a very different way, in a very new way.’ Some of them reacted very well, and they found it fascinating, and some of them couldn’t do it, it was very frustrating.’”

Academy Illustrations are up

Tall ships Falmouth 2014

Not animation related but a perk of living in Falmouth...there is always something going on down here, it's not quite the sleepy, fishing village life everyone thinks.

This weekend was a big weekend in Falmouth, The Tall Ships Regatta 2014, a landmark moment in history, when Falmouth and Royal Greenwich together host one of the biggest international sailing events in solely English waters.

Falmouth was full to the brim...46 sail training vessels from around the world, including 11 square sail Tall ships.

Saturday night was the celebration night with every single pub full to the brim, bands playing everywhere and a firework display. We all had the best time, its so much fun to see the town so full of life and everyone in such good spirits.

On the Sunday we were one of the lucky ones able to be out amongst the tall ships on the family boat.
It was an incredible experience, you realise the enormous scale of the ships, it really is a spectacle. Seeing the crew climb the rigging at the dizzy heights of the mast were a bit sickening to say the least! Especially on Saturday nights cider diet.

Here are some of my photographs from the boat and a panorama of us all taking photographs!

Below is a video of some men flying over the Tall ships in Falmouth Harbour with a paramotor. Some incredible views of the sail parade.

Here are a few favourites from the photos that are flooding my facebook feed after this weekend.

Falmouth also made the front page of not one but two national papers! 

                

Sundance Launches Touring Animated Shorts Program

The Sundance Film Festival announced today that they are launching a touring animation programme this September starting at Los Angeles' Sunset cinemas.

The following eight shorts are on the programme:
(Some are only on vimeo and I can't embed for some reason)

Marilyn Myllar directed by Mikey Please
https://vimeo.com/69100068


Belly directed by Julia Pott

It's such a beautiful day directed by Don Hertzfeldt

The Obvious Child directed by Stephen Irwin
https://vimeo.com/81491128

Oh Willy... directed by Marc James Roels and Emma de Swaef

Subconcious Password directed by Chris Landreth

Voice on the line directed by Kelly Sears

Yearbook directed by Bernardo Britto

Although most of these shorts are now available online I really enjoy going to festivals and even just reading the line up of this touring animation shorts made me aware of work I wouldn't have ordinarily come across. Some I like some I don't but it's encouraging to see what people are doing whether they inspire me to work harder to perfect my art or encourage me that I can already do as good!

Evelyn Grace Illustrations, hot off the press!

My vinyl illustrations for The Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton are being installed today! Very exciting. Will post a picture of them actually up on the glass as soon as I have it. Sorry It's only a small picture. http://www.evelyngraceacademy.org/

Disney releases Images from 'Feast"

Today Disney have released the first few images from their short 'Feast' due to screen in front of Big Hero 6 on 7th November 2014.

I was lucky enough to see the world premiere of Feast at Annecy this year and you are all in for a real treat. It combines my two loves; dogs and animation! What more could you want! It focuses on the 12 year relationship between man, James, and dog, Winston, illustrated through how they share their meals. I won't give too much away as it is really is a lovely, heart warming story. 

Meet Winston, the adorable Boston Terrier...

The screening at Annecy also gave us an opportunity to hear from first-time director Patrick Osborne (Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph & Paperman) and Production designer Jeff Turley (Tangled, Wreck-it Raplh & Paperman). It was a great inspiration to see the behind the scenes working progress of this short. The detailed visual research into Boston terriers, the character sheets and even the initial pitch concept from Patrick.  But also, a huge encouragement to see the amount of work and people power a short of this high quality takes, we got to see a scene breakdown from the short through production, layer after layer of compositing and lighting and filters. 

Although I enjoy working remotely and independently, I look forward to the opportunity of working within a team where everyone loves it as much as you do! 

I eagerly anticipate November when I can see this short again!

"I want a Glen Keane style animation turned around in a week for $100"

As a freelancer I am a member of a lot of freelance pool sites which are just great, have a look http://www.peopleperhour.com/ There is quite a thorough selection process meaning that the freelancers on there are of a good standard and reliable.

However, I also spend a fair amount of time trawling adverts on google and general job advertising sites. I have become increasingly aware of how little people know about animation and the processes involved to create an animated piece.

My particular peeve is "I want a Glen Keane style animation turned around in a week for $100"

I wish that these overly optimistic clients would take the time to look at some of Glen Keane's work and understand that not only is he one of the most talented animators but also the rigorous creative process even a rough animation takes. Below is a video of a rough animation from Tarzan, the drawings are spectacular even in this rough state and the movement is so captivating and fluid.

$100? I think not!

Evelyn Grace Academy Illustration Commission

I have just signed off on a commission for Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton.

www.evelyngraceacademy.org/

The brief was to create 11 vector illustrations to be displayed as vinyl cut window installations. Using scientific diagrams as my spring board I was asked to create 11 images within the same visual language that would be appealing to senior school children and would brighten up a grey, industrial looking school corridor.

Here are my final vector images (please excuse the watermark).

       

                  

 

                 

 

                 

 

Testimonial:

Victoria Deadman Gatt

Operations Director, Evelyn Grace Academy at ARK

"Working remotely from each other on something so creative could have been a disaster but Sophie really delivered on what was asked of her. We wanted to brighten up our grey environment with scientific diagrams all brought to life in the same style which would be accessible to our students whilst remaining true to their scientific principles. I'm delighted with Sophie's work."

August 20, 2014, Victoria was Sophie's client

I began the concept process for this work by mono printing, this helped me to loosen up my drawings rather than keeping to the tight, manufactured look of the original scientific drawings, below is a video of me printing out some mitochondria cells!

http://vimeo.com/103899926

Expressive faces

Working on my Shark character design I have been looking at a lot of character sheets from other animations and thought I would share them as they have been incredibly useful to me. The work of Milt Kahl, drawing Hook for Peter Pan and Andreas Deja's work on expressing the character of Jafar are just incredible and really push me to loosen my drawings.
(As well as photographing myself and pulling exaggerated faces into my mirror to draw from!)

Have a look at Andreas Deja's blog as it is so full of great information and visuals, you'll be impressed!

http://andreasdeja.blogspot.co.uk/