Wed, Oct 15th 2008, 12:40
Over the last few weeks we've had the pleasure of running an animation masterclass for six budding animators. We've been working with the lovely people at Hi8us Midlands to help the animators create a one minute animation each. The animations will be premiered at the Hello Digital Festival.
Anyway, enough of me going on about it... here's some commentary and pictures on the Hello Digital! website
Thu, Oct 23rd 2008, 13:54
The finished animations from the Digitoons Masterclass that we have been involved in courtesy of Hi8us Midlands are now live on YouTube. They will have their first performance at today's Hello Digital festival in Birmingham.
Congratulations to our six animators Nusha Amini, Lauron Farr, Qianqian Liu, Charis McNerlin, Amy Morgan, and Charlie Pinder of mookstudios. Thanks to Kate, Dave and Kulwant at Hi8us for organising everything!
Wed, Mar 25th 2009, 08:50
Occasionally we are asked by students to answer questions for their research. Here's some questions posed by Sonja from the University of Sunderland in January 08 and the answers I gave.
Sonja: Do you think that anyone and everyone being able to create animations in programs such as Flash is a good or a bad thing?
Myles: I think that the democratisation of artistic expression is a good thing. That doesn't mean everything produced will be good. But if it gives individuals satisfaction then it is a good thing. Who cares if no-one else ever sees it, or if no one else likes it? How many people don't like Constable or Keats or Tolkien… plenty I'm sure, and they are considered masters of their fields. It is likely their main drive was to satisfy their own desire to create works of art.
Flash and such programs also make it more possible for talented people with energy and drive, but also with limited means, the ability to break into the animation market.
Ultimately the best animations will still emerge from the mass, and be passed around more, or recommended more, or bought on DVD, or watched over and over, or licensed by TV commissioners. Those that do not have mass appeal will not be seen so widely, so a natural sorting mechanism remains however much animation is produced.
Sonja: Does 2D animation have a future in gaming? What draws you to a 2D game over a 3D one and vice versa? and...
Sonja: Do you think that 2D animation will have a future in television for much longer?
Myles: I think I'll answer these together. I think 2D does have a future. There is a general idea out there in the ether that 2D is old hat and 3D will ultimately replace it as though 2D is like some moribund red squirrel miserably waiting for it's grey beefier cousin to barge it out of existence. Perhaps the inventors of the television are still awaiting the death of radio. Or the inventors of the video phone the death of the regular audio phone. Perhaps people creating holograms are anticipating the death of oil painting. I think they'll all be waiting a very long time. 2D is a form of art. 3D doesn't replace it; it simply offers an alternative. This is my pancake theory. I once met a chef who made the most delicious Canadian pancakes. She was very scathing about French crepes. My attitude was 'why choose, when you can have both!'
There are other reasons too. 2D is still a lot cheaper to produce than 3D and for the foreseeable future that will remain the case. Also, I know from experience that writing for 2D animation means you can do crazier stuff inside a TV series budget.
I think it is also an aesthetic thing. Some people undoubtedly prefer 3D, others prefer 2D. At the moment I still prefer 2D in the main, but I like to be impressed by amazing 3D work. Jo Jo in the Stars was a wonderful bit of 3D. Also, most of the Pixar stuff is just wonderful. In the end it's more about the quality of work, imagination and execution than whether it's 2 or 3D.
Sonja: Does ease of distribution of animations on the internet mean that 2D animation is left more in the hands of independent animators and/or amateur animators?
Myles: I'm not sure this will remain the case as the TV companies switch on to to the power of net distribution more and more. I think advertisers are already there. The Skittles advertising campaign we were involved in is a case in point. They harnessed that independent handmade spirit to advertise online.
Sonja: What do you think are the advantages of 2D animation over 3D, if any?
Myles: I think the main advantage for me is that 2D design can be more interpretive, more representative and less literal than 3D. 3D often moves towards being 'realistic' and almost a replacement for live action. Obviously that's just my opinion!
Sonja: How much is nostalgia a factor in 2D animation's popularity?
Myles: I think this definitely plays a role, and is probably partly related to comics as well as TV programmes from people's childhoods. However, I don't think it's a make or break factor. 2D will persist irrespective of this.
Interview ends.
Tue, Jun 30th 2009, 10:07
The last two Art Sparks films are now live on the Tate Kids website. They feature the egg-like structure Ishi's Light by Anish Kapoor and Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion by Francis Bacon.
Tue, Jun 30th 2009, 15:55
Last weekend I gave up my Saturday to attend one of the TENacity workshops being run by the West Midlands writers' agency SCRIPT. The title was "GENRE BUSTING: Writing Genre Material that is fresh, ground-breaking and original". The course was run by Red Room Films producer Claire Ingham and also featured a guest spot with Phil Ford, head writer on the Sarah Jane Adventures and writer for Torchwood and Doctor Who.
It was an interesting day and although I felt like I knew quite a lot of what was covered (what a big head I am) it was never boring and I never felt sleepy (as you sometimes do at these events). Both Claire and Phil were full of useful insights into genre and the business of making TV and films.
One takeaway for me was the concept of 'main character' and 'central character'. Main Character being the protagonist, the hero or heroine, someone who has a character arc (oh how everyone hates that phrase!) and the Central Character being someone who doesn't really go through any majors changes, but who is a focal point for the story.
An example given was Silence of the Lambs where Jodie Foster's character Agent Starling is the Main Character, but Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is the Central Character. I suppose another example would be The Third Man where Holly Martins is the Main Character and Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles) is the Central Character. Like most things you learn about story, it seems blindingly obvious once someone has pointed it out, but it needed someone to point it out in the first place for you to sit up and take notice.
Other useful hints and tips
In other words, taking my Doctor Who script with me wasn't a good idea. Which is why it stayed in its pink plastic covering and came back home with me. Ironically it's been a very useful script to show to everyone except those working on Doctor Who because it shows I can write to a format (plus I learned loads doing it - not least about simplifying plot and being able to tie up lots of loose ends in a satisfying way).
I'd recommend the other TENacity courses based on this one. I'd loved to have gone to the one with Helen Cross in Bromsgrove too, but I'll be in Aberdeen!
