RUNS IN THE FAMILY

After a few months away from animation I am finally gone back to work. My short film We're hunting treasures is well under way and I am hoping to finish animation in the next couple of weeks.

This illustration was made for an entry to Channel 4 Random Acts. Unfortunately the short film titled Runs in the family wasn't picked up, but it gave me the opportunity to experiment with a different style. I still think it will make a great animated documentary. And I am determined to find a way to develop it. Here is a synopsis:

Why do Jamaicans run so fast?

According to Andrew Blake, a carpenter I met while renovating our house, it’s because growing up in Jamaica it’s almost a necessity for survival.

From an early age children need to run backwards and forwards to complete their everyday chores. Whilst building my kitchen together this Summer, and chatting about the Olympics, he told me some stories from his childhood. For instance how he had to sprint in order to beat the other kids in the village to the well to get fresh water in the morning, to feed the family goat and then get to school on time. Nowadays running can be a way out of poverty for the talented few. A lot of sports scouts visit the island in search for new champions.

Andrew is 33 now and isn’t so fast these days, but just try to catch his cousin Yohan Blake. 

‘Runs in the Family’ is a short but heart warming story told in Andrew’s own words about a national passion for running and how it came about

NOEL FIELDING'S LUXURY COMEDY





Finally after months of work Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy will be on E4 from the 26th of January.
The show is psychedelic and beautiful. We mixed live action, inventive motion capture, 3D and acrylic paintings.
We created all the animation and effects in After Effects and Cinema 4D. We were a small team of 5 people plus director Nigel. My main job was to create and animate the characters and objects appearing in the series. 

SELLARONDA

This is video was among the winners of Chevrolet Route 66 competition for Mofilm at Shanghai Film Festival. It will be part of a new Chevrolet website populated with videos of memorable and inspiring road trips around the world. Our journey took place in the Dolomites, a mountain range located in the North East of Italy. In 2009 UNESCO declared them a natural heritage site. We drove through 'The Great Dolomites road'. It was built between 1895 and 1909 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The road, constantly climbing and bending, nestled in between striking mountains, makes it a memorable drive. I took along my friend Raf and I filmed the video over 3 days with a Canon 550D. We came across all sort of weather. After a few days of beautiful sunshine we woke up one morning to find heavy snow.

The music is an original track by Barney Wade

BREAKING THE MOULD

The alternative life of an apple.

I co-directed and designed this short film with Rebecca Manley. It was commissioned and funded by the IFSW and Skillset as part of the Animator in Residence Scheme at the University of Wales, Newport.

The music once again is an original track by Barney Wade

Breaking the Mould has won the Shooting People DepicT! Audience award.

I DREAM OF ICECREAM IN 3D



As part of the Slinky dream series I created this short animation. Now In fabulous stereo 3D.
Grab some anaglyph glasses to watch it in its full magic!

WHAT ARE YOU LIKE?



Last year I went to see an exhibition at the Dulwich Pictures Gallery called 'What are you like?'. The idea was taken from a Victorian game of describing yourself with images of your favourite things: like a self portrait. I liked the idea very much and I took it as inspiration for a new piece of animation.It proved interesting to find a narrative structure for my animated version. As the original Victorian game was intended to be illustrated on a single piece of paper.I went through various layouts before finding the final one.The music is an original piece by Barney Wade.

Watch it here: http://www.vimeo.com/8816252

FIFA WORLD CUP

I worked with Rob Ward in AE on this chalky film by Rebecca Manley.

Commissioned by FIFA and Comic Relief for the 2010 World Cup Kick Off Concert, this film celebrates the creation of Africa's first Football For Hope Centre in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.