Tuesday 31 July 2012

One of my first photo shop testers

It isn't perfect but I'm just experimenting and playing around at the moment. although I'm not a whizz kid on photo shop yet , I do like a lot of the results that can be gained from this medium. I felt I should just put a little something up as I haven't uploaded any more of my animation work yet,, I've been extremely busy with it all and still haven't finished my project, I'm very tired so I shall rest now and hopefully the animation and much more will be coming your way soon .

Monday 16 July 2012

The future update

I've been filming all day today, i still haven't completely finished my 'map' but I have put what I have together on my windows movie maker ( but am waiting for my birthday when my lovely video editing present arrives to put it together properly). I'm extremely eager to show what I have but I want it to be perfect before I show the finished piece, so you shall have to wait. But I will say this, I am both very proud and extremely excited to get everything finished and show my brain child.

Sunday 15 July 2012

An audio map of the future?

 This will eventually become part of a section of my map of the future.
That's right I'm making a short film instead of a traditional map. This is just a small section and will also be of  better quality as some lovely people known as mum and dad are getting me a very good video program for my laptop so once I turn 28, in a few weeks, not only will I be one year older but my videos will hopefully be one step better.

I thought long and hard about what to do for my map project. it was no secret that , apart from my fantasy island map I didn't really fully enjoy the map projects I had previously embarked upon.

When ever I feel that I don't enjoy a project or can't do a certain thing without help, I stop, I think,, and I find a way of doing things in a different way that will not only be a representation of who I am but also be a strategy that will enable me to  tackle things  alone.

I played at first with the idea of a map of the future for the blind. I thought the idea of having an audio map rather than a braille map seem quite interesting and perhaps quite useful, or pointless which ever way you care to look at it. If you weren't able to see and had to follow someones voice or opinion of what the future was it seemed to me this could be something very strange and disorientating. At first I wrote a 'story/map' and began to record myself narrating this, then i began to add strange noises into the background , and intended to put this narrative over a blank video. Although I still like this idea and think it would work very well in perhaps a large installation type setting , the story/map I had created was begging to show itself and come to life.

It started as a simple drawing in a sketch book but again I felt it deserved more than that, It needed to move , it needed to live, so I decided that my map of the future would become my journey, but the journey that goes on inside my head, I've always thought in a very poetic and aesthetic way. so for me this seemed like the right decision.

As I said it isn't finished yet, but hopefully it will be enjoyed as much by others as I have enjoyed making it.

I'm looking forward to finishing it all and showing the finished product very soon .

Saturday 14 July 2012

Perfect poppy

In these parts the poppies had grown taller than any building, providing the comforting thought that big and beautiful thing often prevail over the rockiest of grounds.

Friday 13 July 2012

If you still can't find a friend,, make your favourite pop stars! (Robert Smith doll)







Now CJ (Charlotte Junior) has a wonderful companion (who goes by the name of Robert Smith junior) to share in her world of 'Tea parties and glamorous gloom inside her head'

Again the knitted doll and clothing were made by my lovely mama and the hair and features were done my moi. I think we may embark upon a Morrissey doll next.

The two parties have been rehearsing all day for a part in my new project and I am happy to say , they have both signed a contract this afternoon!

Sunday 8 July 2012

If you can't find a friend,, make one!






Team Furness (aka my mum and I ) made this yesterday, my mum made the knitted doll and clothes and I did all the embroidery and customising. I'd say it was a very good team effort and I love the result of another 'mini me'  The legs are filled with pipe cleaners so the doll can be placed in different poses. I am thinking of using her as part of my 'Map of the future' I'm planning my map in a very different way to traditional maps, so please do keep your eyes open for my progress throughout the summer.

(Floria Sigismondi. Produced by Believe Media/ The cure- End of the world Video)

I've added this video, not just because I am in love with the cure, but also because i adore the aesthetics of the video. I like the use of stop motion to create an otherworldly , magical feel, and the way Robert smith himself does appear real , yet his jerky movements place him in this other world too although we know he isn't . This video and song and indeed the cure just make me smile every time I watch them.
I've been having a lot of ideas lately about motion and animation and am investigating this genre in depth , but this type of animation and film making as a combination is definitely something I aspire to.