Happy first day of Spring!

Today it's official. It's the first day of spring, which means we have all of the sunny warm days of spring and summer to look forward to. Good weather really can make a huge difference in your day. So in honor of spring I changed the blog header to something a little, sunnier. For the next two months I will be mostly shut in a dark room working on animation. I wont get to spend much time enjoying the weather until after May 13 when the Light Thief is done (fingers crossed).
I will however get to go to wonderful Annecy Animation festival this June where I will spend the week camping in the alps, watching the best of what the world's animation industry has to offer and scouting around and hopefully making a few connections. If anyone else is going to Annecy this year and wants to meet up let me know! I'm also in the process of uploading my current show reel so feed back and comments are welcome as always. I still have concept art up for sale over on Esty, and I'm working on an idea for a collaboration for one of the stories. I want word suggestions. Basically, leave a comment with one word. I'll have to come up with a way to use the word in the book. (Please, be more imaginative than cuss words. Everyone thinks of those first  so I know you can do better than that.) The book is a bout birds. So go from there.  Oh and whoever leaves me a word first gets a free piece of concept art based on the word they give me.
 Umm, ok well I think that's mostly it for now. Yay for spring!

Portfolio Page Up!

Go click on the portfolio tab to take a look and see what I'm capable of.

Rough Character Animation

Rough Character Animation from rory animates on Vimeo.

I might finally be getting some where with my animation. Or at least, it's starting to look a bit more respectable. This is the animation that inspired such kind remarks from the Aardman animator the other day. It's all traced now, and I've started the effects animation to go with it so the scene should be coming together soon. Cross your fingers for (no pun intended) Hopefully it will come out looking something like the concept paintings.

A visitor from Aardman Animation.

Today was a pretty interesting day. An animator from Aardman came down from Bristol to chat with us about the industry and take a look at our films. He spent a nice bit of time going over the animatic as well as quite a good lecture about his own career, ( an alumni from my own uni ).

He said my animation was beautiful. I don't think anyone has ever said that about my work. I don't think I've ever made anything beautiful, but I do give it a go. I'm still learning from everything.  He had a lot of really interesting and helpful input for the film.  Here's a line test of some rough animation in progress.


rough animation from rory animates on Vimeo.

I'm still workin on it, I dont like the last few drawings, so I'll get around to fixing them before I do clean up.

I think it's amazing that anyone would ever like anything I ever made. Someone from Aardman liked my stuff? I think I could ride this high for years, like Tom Waits when he didn't kill that guy with the plumbing snake whilst he worked at the pizza shop ( listen to Tom Waits : Story Tellers " I can't wait to get off work" here  at 7 minutes into the video to get the full impact of just how hilarious and alternative I really am. ) ...Other wise, uhm,  I'm working damn hard and damn fast to get this film made. Oh by the way I'm going to need a job soon, after I graduate. Preferably in the animation industry. So, who want's me? I work for peanuts. Then, cashews, then Brazil nuts. I'm considering offers.  I just like to eat.

Portfolio Work

I'm developing this piece for a portfolio I'm working on. It's going to be painted in a style inspired by gold and black sequins in order to make a statement between the fashion industry, and it's impact on India where the Indian Peafowl live.

Final Outcome

I think I've reached the final conclusion with this concept piece. On to the next.