So Long for the Summer

India here, in what will likely be my last post on the Draw the Dinosaur blog. As you'll know from Nick, I've been given the exciting opportunity to work with SEGA Hardlight! As a massive Sonic nut, there is no way that I can resist the call of the blue blur, so I'm sad to say that I'll be leaving you all - albeit in the extremely capable hands of Nick and Matthew.

I will truly miss working here at Wirral Met, and I really wish all of the graduating Level 6s success with their futures, and the new Level 6s a great year. I've just attending a meeting in which Nick and Matthew have decided what they'll be teaching next year, and I can tell you that there are some really great, creative projects planned. The new Level 5s in particular will have a lot to get their teeth into.

 

I'll be relying on Matt to keep me updated on how you react to what they have planned.
For now, you should all feel free to contact me via email if there is ever anything that you want to ask. I'll leave you with a brilliant little video of an animator inserting animations into reality using clear frames. Worth a watch! Enjoy! 

 

 

- India

 

Ready, Set, Go!

On the 17th and 18th of June, Aintree racecourse was bustling with excitement. This was no horse race, but a race for the future as students from across Merseyside descended on the site for The Skills Show @ The International Festival of Business to see what opportunities were available from their local institutions.

Wirral Metropolitan’s 'Have a go' workshop raced over to demonstrate that animation isn't a niche area of study, but instead exciting, engaging and not just for kids. We worked with over seventy groups of student (and some curious adults too) to create two short pieces of stop motion animation. The attraction of animation was enough to draw not just students but fellow exhibitors to give the workshop a go.

On Tuesday we set the students off with a toy car race. Matthew and I took turns steering them in the right direction, showing them timing and spacing, as we joined in racing cars around the track. No matter what age you are, give a person a toy car and you can bet ten-to-one that by the end of the day there is going to be a few car pile-ups. It was wheely fun for everyone involved.

Wednesday started with a bang as we swapped high speed for a sweet fireworks display. The colourful candy offered great creative freedom and people became more adventurous as the day went on. One participant completely discarded fireworks and the sweets were transformed into a spaceship invasion that was held off by a heavy chocolate defence.
Now there’s an animator in the making!

You can check out the results below.



The Skills Show at Aintree Racecourse - Tuesday from WMC Illustration with Animation on Vimeo.



The Skills Show at Aintree Racecourse - Wednesday from WMC Illustration with Animation on Vimeo.

Specials thanks to everyone thank took part from:

Birkenhead Sixth Form College
Bluebell Park School
Broadgreen International School
Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School
Deyes High School
Enterprise South Liverpool Academy (ESLA)
Greenbank High School
Hilbre High School
Holy Family Catholic High School
Life Science UTC
Lord Derby Academy
Newfield School
Oldershaw Academy
Rainhill Sixth Form
Range High School
Ridgeway High School
St Edmund Arrowsmith School
St Hilda's CE High School
St. Julie's Catholic High School
South Sefton Sixth Form College
South Wirral High School
The City Of Liverpool College
Wallasey School
Weatherhead High School
West Derby School

and

Aspire, Achieve, Advance

Connexions

NAC Group

The Chartered Institute of Marketing

Worldskills Uk / Here To Help Team

-Jennifer

Listen to this....

Change that distracting habit of watching Youtube videos while you work!
It always ends the same way - half way through that brilliant piece of art you've been creating, you realize that it's become secondary to the squawking 'Let's Play'-er who you've been watching, and that you haven't made any progress in the last ten minutes.

We're all guilty of it sometimes.
Richard Williams' mantra is 'Unplug'.

And he is of course right. However, if you have to listen to something (and I have to admit that I do more often than I don't), then treat your brain and ears to something motivational, fun, informative.

I give you the Animation Podcasts.

 

 

There are a lot of Podcasts worth listening to. These are the ones which to my knowledge are still running and being updated, and the ones I myself enjoy most. Click the titles to go to the sites.

 

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Speaking of Animation

 

 

 

Funny, charming, and I-cannot-even-stress-this-enough USEFUL interviews with incredibly skilled industry animators. They go in-depth on techniques and their approaches to a scene. I just wish that this particular podcast was more frequently updated!

 

 

Animation Fascination

 

 

This is more just like listening to a couple of your friends discussing recent animation news. It's a good way to keep up to date with the ins and outs of the industry, and it's strength lies in the humorous delivery of the presenters who are zany and relatable.

 

 

iAnimate

 



 

 

Just a really well done and professional podcast. A collection of interviews with a good range of industry veterans spanning a mix of disciplines. 2D, 3D, Visual Effects, etc.

 

 







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I would love to recommend to you 'The Animation Podcast' - no doubt the King of the batch but, unfortunately, it hasn't been operational in a while. Their back catalogue deserves your attention, though.

'The Pixar Podcast' is as good as you'd imagine it to be, but has recently been closed down. Again, the back catalogue is interesting although actually, I tend to find some of the other choices more accessible and fun.

 

-India