That was Intense

To quote Simon Barnes, the Times sports correspondant -

"At this ineffable level of sport, it’s time to pack away the superlatives and just give thanks for bloody sport; for these daft games we watch that produce such extraordinary things and bring us such extraordinary people."

Ashley's Aardman Adventure:...finished 2 weeks ago

Dave and Jess at the end of the first week!

Lunch times...that's right...we got a lake!

My little work zone...surprisingly tidy for me.

So 2 weeks ago we all said our good-byes to Aardman...but only for a short time hopefully! It was one of the most awesome experiences and if anyone who I know in the UK animation community is reading this then I would urge them to give some serious thought to dropping everything and applying.

It was definitely worth it and I'm gonna do my best to keep in touch with all my fellow crustees...apparently we have upgraded to crusto-maniacs. I hope they're all having a relaxing time and looking forward to whatever they've got planned next.

As for me I don't really know where I'm off to next. I have no immediate work lined up and have been relaxing for the last 2 weeks...unwinding from the 8 weeks of relentless (the drink, not the work) and getting back into some animating...I finally figured out how to do hand drawn animation in photoshop! and it ain't half bad either if you treat it like paper and don't expect a computer to have anything to do with the outcome. Maybe I'll stick a post up so everyone can learn cos Adobe sure as hell don't cover it with they're tutorials or help files...they seem to think animation is about doing one drawing and then have the computer tween it. Technically it is animation, but where is the fun in having the computer do the work? Granted, Fosters Home is all Flash, but I'm gonna guess that those guys put a serious amount of work into making the computer do stuff right, which is why it looks so good.

and now my laptop battery is dead... I will edit with pictures later

Take care all,

Shlee out

Ashleys Aardman Adventure: 1 week left!!

Final pitches are over...bitch'n...lets get drunk.

And for anyone who doesn't know...this site is awesome - www.ultimateirongiant.com

Ashley's Aardman adventure: The final hurdle.

Jeez....into the 7th week already. Where did it all go? And I got lazy and didn't blog...surprisingly.

The last 7 weeks really has been a blur. Frank, Christian, Bruce, Steve, Some improv bloke whose name escapes me, and many others have all blasted so much story info at us, it really has been one of those periods where if you stop for a second then you'll miss something. And to think its all over next Friday. I think I'll have to write a eulogy.

Oh...and tomorrow I get to meet Richard Williams before he sets off to Annecy. I almost got to share a cab with him a few days ago but it was not to be. Alas...

Ashley's Aardman Adventure: Clip o' the Day

Starting the other day, we get a clip from a film...EVERYDAY!!! A couple of days ago it was, 'Singing in the Rain' and today we had...well I can't remember what it was called but they used the line, "Badges?!?We don't have badges...we don't NEED to SHOW you NO STINKIN BADGES!". I'm guessing that anyone who knows Frank will know this...he says it everyday.

Ashley's Aardman Adventure: So what evolutionary studies have you been doing?

um...uh...eh...mostly looking into time travel in the womb. (Jess and Jay, Improv class. 13/05/2008)

Thursday...just pitched my ruffs for my second sequence. This was a speed test so we had to get a pass done quick (six days inc. a weekend...I didn't work the weekend) for approval before cleaned them up, added/minus/rework panels, etc. It went alright for everyone and we all pretty much got told to clean up for final pitch, which, to be honest, I found a bit unnerving. Rarely do you pitch and the director says, "Great! Throw a B drawing in here and there and go to clean up". Leaves you wondering if they really liked it. Anyway, final pitch next Wednesday and then it's onto the final sequences...after that we'll have first pass boarded/got some onto reels, a whole feature!! In only 8 weeks!! Whay else happened this week?? We had improv class on Tuesday which was soooo much fun. At one point (with much hilarity) we were all marching around the story room shouting, "I am a very important story artist...look at me as I march around". The guys in model making must of thought we were nuts, or just very, very, very pretentious. How time flies when you are having fun...I can't believe its all gone so fast. And just FYI, the story dept. really is as cool as it looks on the special features of DVDs (at least it is here at Aardman).

And Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is out on the 22nd!!! I've got my ticket...do you have yours?

Ashley's Aardman Adventure: Friday is for...

Oh my God!! Another post so soon after last one. How unheard of!
I discovered the scanner at work today...Revelation. I like Friday beacause:

1. Its the last day of the week, so I get to go home to London for the weekend



2. We get gesture drawing classes in the morning (fun)



3. 5 o'clock is affectionately termed "BEER O'CLOCK"

Anyway, I read over the last post and realised I didn't really say much about what is happening. There are 10 of us (Me, Gabriel, Helen, James, Jess, Dave P, Dave B, Theresa, Jay and Oli) from around the UK who are being trained by the one and only Frank Gladstone (see image...i'll put some of the rest of us up next post). Apparently there is a lack of feature animation story artists over here so the whole point in this course is to knock us all into shape. The first week, we were all surprised by the fact that we have all got the brand new Wacom Cintiq 12 inch screens...very awesome piece of kit. Along side that we were lucky enough to have Christian Lignan (very talented French story artist) teaching us, so it was a hell of a start and alot of fun.

And now I am on my second sequence...and its a speed test to see how we cope with rush deadlines, so I need it all ruffed by next Tuesday for a pitch, before final first pass pitch the week after...INTENSE! But its all good.

Ashley's Aardman Adventure: I'm an Aardman Crustee

Howdy!! It's been a while but I have actually been meaning to post stuff for a while...thing is I get home on Friday nights and have stuff to scan and post but the web has been down at home for the last 2 weeks...and I haven't been there because *drum roll* I am a story artist trainee at Aardman feature studios down in Bristol!! It's 8 weeks of training and then there is the opportunity of a possible job at the end!!

Naturally I can't post anything which I do at work, so you get a doodle instead. I've been here for two and a half weeks now and am about to pitch my final first pass on my first sequence...exciting and nerve racking too. hopefully it'll work out alright. We've been doing everything paperless on Wacom Cintiq's and it took about a week to get used to the method and working out a work flow which suited me. Organisation is the key, which means I am failing miserably. Haha. Right, anyway I gotta go for a pitch meeting but I'll post this as soon as I am done...hopefully they'll (director, etc.) like it!!

******

So just pitched!! whew...not as bad as I imagined it would be and there was a pretty good response and some decent feedback and a few changes to make. For now that board is being shelved and we get our new sequences today!!

Mar-uh-thun

–noun

1.	a foot race over a course measuring 26 mi. 385 yd. (42 km 195 m).

2.	any long-distance race.

3.	any contest, event, or the like, of great, or greater than normal, length or duration or requiring exceptional endurance: a dance marathon; a sales marathon.

London Marathon day yesterday and I got prime placement on Tower Bridge to catch the action. I took my sketchbook but the heavens opened and sent forth mighty blobs of water. Plus I took my camera and I'm still learning this photography lark, lenses and all that...anyway, PICTURES!!

A supporter in Waterloo station. You aren't allowed to take pictures in Waterloo station. I was told off.

Waiting...

After the front runners from the mens and womens races went through, the other elite racers started to filter across and this is how pretty much every one of them reacted. They'd run under the bridge entrance and break into smiles. 20km down, 22 left to go...just keep smiling

4 miles to go...

Big Finish, Big Smile

First post of 2008...it's a bit late really

Hello...just got told to update my blog which is fair enough really. I got a load of stuff scanned so that I can put up bits and pieces and not have to worry about having no pictures to post!! Below is some stuff from my sketchbook and some pictures of NYC...done quite a bit in the last few months whilst not blogging.

THE RED ARROWS

So the RAF's display team, the Red Arrows were about town yesterday....and they were awesome!! I don't know what it is about them...the speed, the flair or that sound...you know, the one of a jet engine screaming at 500mph, 50ft above your head...okay, maybe you don't, but it gets me buzzing every year. A number of people who I grew up with and went to school with had fathers who were Red Arrows, so it takes me back to being a small kid. Loads of people turned up and the beaches were rammed about 150m each side of Bournemouth Pier with countless more up on the cliff tops so I guess I'm not the only one who gets excited when they take to the skies.

"There they are!!"

...and then there was the pointing and cries of "There they are!!" as the the first few people spot them, red, white and blue smoke trail blazing behind them as they blast along the seafront and soar skywards.