What kind of bird are you? from the book 'I want to fly'

Late August 2011 I decided that it was time to finally start making my models move. Not quite equipped with the right story I decided to use a lovely tune from my talented friend Elena Dana and make a music video.

Autumn Waltz is a beautiful song and it really sparked my imagination. Out of my head came the idea that the story should be set underwater.  Elena told me of the story behind Autumn Waltz and that some relationships just don't work out! Autumn Waltz is about forgetting about your relationship troubles for a while and in this case to go out and dance in the autumn leaves.  What a better way, I thought, than to go off and be free in a fire-breathing, mechanical-fish-submarine! Just the tonic when feeling blue!

11 whole months later with much blood, sweat and tears and very weary, I produced my first ever animation.  Before doing this I had never 1) made any pupepets for stop-frame animation, 2) done any stop-frame animation, 3) filmed anything, 4) used a green screen or done any digital compositing, 5) used After Effects or done any post production and 5) done any sound design.

So I can tell you it was a super massive challenge!

Have a peak at some behind the scene shots.  Enjoy x x

A sample animation made for the opening of a session I'm producing at the Children's Media Conference.

Screen Shots Autumn Waltz

 

Stop motion fish pre post-production

Compositing tests.  Pre- lighting set up and animation.  

Watch out for the underwater smoke and flames.

 My Mechanical Fish Submarine finished!

 TEST: Wood and cardboard forest and footage of bubble in a fish tank. This was then comopositied using After Effects

village on the back of a turtle

More testing!

This automaton in progress is for another scene of the music video.

 Puppet and set for the first scene of the music video.  The lighting coming in from the window will be a luminescent underwater blue, and of course an orange glow from the candle.  Can't wait to get animating!!

 

Mechanism for the eyes inspired by the Swiss automata maker Francois Junod

Storyboard submission

House of Illustration Competition

 Entries for the House of Illustration Competition uploaded!

 See some preparatory photos too!