Here’s a bunch of photos from my week at the Munich international Festival of Film Schools, where Crooked was screening.
Beautiful Munich! checking in at the festival lounge – the festival staff were awesome The audience at the Film museum, where all the screenings were held After every film, there was a Q & A with the director. I think we were all really nervous at first, but the hosts were fantastic, and asked great questions. I don’t know what the hell I’m saying here… I must be talking about my great boxing skills. Tour of the Bavarian film studio, of which the most interesting part was... wardrobe of course! Apparently, most of the wartime uniforms were originals from the time. creepy! Nothing remained of the pancake with almonds and apple mousse,apart from memories and an oily pan. Yum!
Of course, the real highlight was meeting directors from all over the world, and seeing some damn good films.. one of my favourites was a film called And Thou Shalt Love, by the talented Chaim Elbaum. Check out the trailer:
I forgot to post this pic up earlier, but here is the screening of Lucille at Federation Square. Just before my film came on, a huge crowd of schoolkids swarmed in and sat down to watch, which is great, as they were a good audience.
It's interesting what they laugh at! One thing's for sure, kids think bums are very funny! :)
'Crooked' is showing at a bunch of festivals over the next 2 weeks. So, if you're reading this and you just happen to be in Beijing, you can catch it at the International Student Film & Video Festival. It's also screening at the lovely Bradford Animation Festival in the UK, where you can see it this Thursday and Friday in the Short Shorts program.
But the most exciting news is that this weekend, I'll be flying to Munich to attend the Munich International Festival of Film Schools. It's one of the top student festivals, and will be screening 44 films from around the world.
That is damn excitement! :D
Now.. what am I going to read on that 27 hour flight from Australia...
My animated film Lucille is currently screening as part of Chris Doyle's installation, Ecstatic City, for the Melbourne International Arts Festival, on until the end of the week.
You can step into little "miniplexes", built right over the water outside the National Gallery and check out some works by local filmmakers.
Here's a blurb from the festival website: "Part temporary architecture and part video projection, Ecstatic City is situated in the moat of the NGV International. Designed as a kind of 'miniplex marina', viewers can explore the site and take in some remarkable and refreshing video works that have been created by some of Australia's great moving image-makers."
The topic on Illustration Friday this week is strings! Beloved strings! So, how could i not "cheat" and show a few stills from my animation Lucille (about a girl in a guitar shop)?
I always like seeing other people's process, so here's a few before and after shots, comparing the original rough storyboard to the final animation.
There's something in the immediacy of a rough sketch that sometimes can't be recreated. I like the rocker's face in that last storyboard sketch more than the final shot. It's much more menacing! But I ended up going for a more deadpan look. (It went better with the actor's performance)
Any Melbournians reading this? You can see this animation on the big screen at Fed Square this Thursday (the 16th), with my other film Crooked and all the other films nominated for ATOM awards this year. They're on 7:30 to 9pm, and it's FREE. See you there!
I first saw the work of stop-motion animator, Adam Bizanski, at Resfest a few years ago. His video for The Shins' song 'Pink Bullets', is a gentle and heart-breaking tale of love between two paper cows. The way he infuses so much emotion into their little paper eyes is remarkable.
Bizanski made his first music video while doing his compulsory military service in Israel, finishing it on his breaks at home. He asked a friend in the US to give his work to The Shins at a New York in-store appearance. Eight months later, he received a call from the lead singer James Mercer, and this lead to the Pink Bullets clip, which he created in his bedroom in Tel-Aviv. He's since directed videos for Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and Zero 7. Go check out his website to see Pink Bullets and more. Now i say!
Check out this fantastic Soviet era animation of Winnie the Pooh by Fyodor Khitruk. It's interesting to see how differently the story and design are interpreted.
In this Russian version, the attitude and humour are much more representative of the book, and so much damn cooler than the syrupy disney version. I love it! Let's hope someone translates the other episodes soon.
I've noticed I usually tend to go for subdued colours. I don't know why, my brain just always picks those colours first... So I tried to push myself with this one and use a more vibrant pallette.
I kept going with this illustration all evening... sometimes it's hard to know when it's actually finished and it's time to stop!
Both my films, Lucille and Crooked, have been shortlisted for an ATOM award for animation! ATOM is the Australian Teachers of Media, and they hold awards annually for film, TV and new media. It's a great honour, thanks ATOM!
Now enough talking, time for some imagery... will post a new illustration up soon!
Here's a teeny little retro-future graphic I did for work, which didn't end up being used. It was a fun little job though - robots, rockets, what more could you ask for? Click on the image to view it (slightly) bigger.
Finally figured i should post my animation showreel. It's bits and pieces from my short films, and little animation experiments from my year at VCA.. The song is Happyland from Matt's upcoming album!
I’m back from Annecy – in fact it’s been a few weeks, but I haven’t blogged for so long, I didn’t know where to begin!
Annecy is one of the biggest animation festivals in the world, set in a beautiful, historic town near the French Alps. Can you argue with cheese and prosciutto baguette, some giant swans attacking you and a view like this? I think not.
Not to mention, amazing animation from around the globe. Such as: Skhizein – a French short film about a man who, after having been struck by a meteorite, finds that he is precisely 91 cms away from himself. A wonderful, witty, inventive script and gorgeous design made this my favourite short of the festival. It was everyone else’s favourite apparently, as it won the audience award.
Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues, a modern interpretation of the Ramayana, ‘The Greatest Break-up Story Ever Told’. The director parallels her own story, of being dumped over email by her husband, to that of Sita, mistreated and cast away by Rama. Paley animated and produced this feature over 5 years on her own!
But clearly, the most important movie at the festival was the opening film, Waltz with Bashir. An Israeli animated documentary about the director’s experience of being unable to remember events that took place during his military service in 1982, when the Sabra and Shatila massacres took place. He retraces and interviews old friends who served with him in an attempt to discover the truth.
(I’m so glad I know Hebrew, as there were no English subtitles, and the French headphone translation was a terrible monotonous voice!)
While I was away I won a few prizes at the Warburton Film Festival in Victoria - best animation, best student film and the audience award for Lucille, so thank you VERY much nice audience!
And if anyone reading is from Perth, I have 2 films screening at the Perth International Film Festival this Saturday the 12th, in the Animation Showcase at 4:30pm.
Any Melbournians or Sydney...people... My short film Lucille will be screening at the Sydney Film Festival, 13 June, approx 4.30pm at the State Theatre, as part of the Dendy awards screenings.
I've always wanted to have some of my digital illustrations professionally printed, and when I had some present giving to do, it seemed the perfect opportunity. I used ImageScience, a place in North Melbourne that specialises in printing giclee prints onto canvas and archival cotton papers. They were highly recommended by Lara over at Kirin Notebook.
I'm quite happy with how they came out, what do you think?
Hey, i got a little write up in the local rag! They're so nice. That's me and my two clones. I get them to do all the drawing for me, while i sit back and smoke cigars.
heehee! I had fun drawing this little illustration for matt's moo cards, trying to incorporate a bit of fabric texture. Just check out those bellbottoms. GOLD!
When the Day Breaks is a beautiful animation made by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis. I love the way it explores our interconnectedness in the minute details of everyday life. It's light, funny, and yet very profound all at the same time.
The filmmakers achieved the unique look by shooting actors on digital video, printing out the frames onto paper, then drawing and painting over the top, turning the humans into animals. It looks amazing! watch it here
Crooked has been accepted at Animafest in Zagreb, where it will make it's world premiere!
oh, how i wish Australia was not so far away from the rest of the world. If I start swimming towards Europe now, I might be there in time.. if the sharks don't get me first!!
Can't you just see the headline? Animator gets eaten by shark on transatlantic swim toward film festival.
Lucille will have it's world premiere at The 54th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen! It will compete in the Children and Youth Film Competition, where it will be judged by a jury of kids.
I drew this for Illustration Friday last week, but didn't post it on time. The topic was theory.. and this is tea theory. The theory that tea makes everything better!
Now that the films are finished, I’ve been getting to know the grumpy ladies at the post office very well. Every time I go there to send off my dvds, I bombard them with thrilling questions about international postage, couriers, and customs forms. Oh, the joy on their faces when they see me coming.
So, not too many pictures of creative work to show for now. Instead, let me point you to an artist I found out about recently.
Mixed Emotions is a visual blog by Israeli artist, Rutu Modan, created for the New York Times. Looks like the blog is finished, but you can still view the 6 narratives on the website. I love the stories she has chosen to tell about her life and family.
Modan also published a graphic novel last year, Exit Wounds, which has been getting great reviews.
