Author Archive

Harry by Sam Jones

Written by andy 9th September 2009, 9:09am

Posted in: 2D, 3D, Reviews

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Bad hair day? Well unless you have a giant scribbly pom-pom of orange hair like Harry, I’d count your blessings. Sam Jones’s “Harry” is a short animation telling the story of a boy and his massive, unruly, orange hair. Everything gets tangled in this mop, from hedgehogs to footballs, and people recoil from it in fear when it approaches.

Sam uses a nice mixture of stylish flats, cut out and placed in a 3D space. The short has a sort of abstract pop up book feel about it which is appealing. I particularly like the transitions between scenes.

If you like the feel good funkiness of this animated short, you’ll love Sam Jones’ portfolio site. There’s a floating penguin, a selection of more design and animation work, and a purple knitted dinosaur who goes “ROOOOAR”. Bliss.

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Ugly Love

Written by andy 2nd September 2009, 11:09am

Posted in: 3D, Reviews

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SPOILER: La La Lah, it’s a lovely day, look at the cardboard clouds. I am a cute deer with my cute doe. Everything is peachy. Oh what’s that on the ground? Holy crud my face! There’s a metal thing on my ever-so-cute-deer-face! And now my eyeball has popped out of its face-hole. Hey where’s my doe? Hey babe, you’ll never guess what happened…where are you going? Is it the blood-drenched dangling eyeball?…

This piece of animated animalia was Created by Jane Ashby, using painted cardboard, collage and toy-like animated animals. It has a nice, stagey, constructed feel about it. I just hope it isn’t autobiographical.

You’ll find more animal mal de vivre in ‘Panda Love’ and other animated goodies on Jane Ashby’s website.

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Welcome to Glaringly

Written by andy 21st August 2009, 1:08pm

Posted in: 2D, Channel 4, Reviews

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Director Grant Orchard’s  black comedy about a man who makes the mistake of going to visit a pal in small town Glaringly. It turns out to be Paranoia-central, chock full of surveillance equipment and suspicious towns folk who just can’t wait to mob-up. Our hero tries to help someone out but thanks to cctv spies jumping to the wrong conclusions and the gutter press spreading them about, he gets on the wrong side of an angry mob. It’s all done in the funky retro 8 bit style of an old timey video game.

Thank goodness this sort of thing could never happen here.

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Highly Overated! by Billy Allison

Written by andy 18th August 2009, 11:08am

Posted in: 2D, Reviews

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Billy Allison’s animation has the nostalgic feel of a newspaper cartoon strip writ large: strong pen and ink drawing and smudgy greys.  It follows a poor chap who, no matter where he goes: a scrap yard, under a bridge, on top of an apartment building, just can’t get any peace. You know the feeling. He just wants to read his paper but we keep stalking him. Sorry newspaper-guy! It’s out of my hands. He’s got some skills though, he runs like the wind and can climb tall buildings with ease. He even jumps out of a plane without of parachute. SPOILER - He’s okay. All accompanied by a jaunty tune from Steven Sproat.

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Best Present Ever

Written by andy 12th August 2009, 3:08pm

Posted in: 2D, Reviews

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Clarabell is having a tea party when she receives an unexpected present: a baby stegosaurus! A cute baby dinosaur she names “Sparky”.

I will declare an interest in this animated short. I didn’t invest in it or anything and I don’t know the director but I do love me some dinosaur. Man, she is one lucky kid, until the mad scientist who lives next door grabs Sparky to do some mad science on him. NOOOOO!!!!! But don’t worry, Clarabell to the rescue. Krystal Georgiou’s film has that classic Saturday morning cartoon magic. The animation is bouncy, springy and full of soul. Incidentally It does contain one of the most incisive and relevant questions of our time, to wit “Why are you not a dinosaur?”. This toon has it all: dinosaurs, a mad scientist and tea, it cannot fail.

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At the Gallery

Written by andy 28th July 2009, 10:07am

Posted in: 2D, Reviews

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Victor Balaguer’s animation tells what happens when a  punk and a dog visit a gallery opening, obviously on the look out for a bit of wine and cheese.  It seems we’re just having a look at the sort of odd-ball characters who frequent art galleries until about a minute and a half in, it all takes a turn for the surreal when moustaches and hairstyles come alive and start chasing each other around the gallery. It’s all done in a fun, energetic, scribbly pencil style. Enjoy it. I’m off to sharpen some pencils.

Victor Balaguer is an animation director and comic book creator hailing from Belgium. If you like this check out his aniboom channel.

Another sharp entry to our summer animation competition. Submit now for your chance to win a copy of Toon Boom! And while you’re at it why not take a look at our list of UK animation festivals? Go on. It’s time to get your animations seen.

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Luke Jackson, “Goodbye London” music video

Written by andy 27th July 2009, 8:07am

Posted in: Reviews

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Enjoy Luke Jackson’s paean to London, directed by Murray John. Rather than the obvious performance video this uses a cartoon version of the band, in the real streets of London: on billboards, bins and subway walls. It’s messed up graffiti wandering across an urban landscape. The demented drawing style and street footage give this vid a gritty style that fits the song like a pair of worn in old trainers.

There’s plenty more musical animated madness on Murray John’s Youtube Channel.

Another tasty entry to our summer animation competition. Submit now for your chance to win a copy of Toon Boom!

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3D is a fad - You don’t impress me with your extra dimension

Written by andy 23rd July 2009, 9:07am

Posted in: 3D, Random thoughts

3d

You probably noticed, everything is 3D these days. I don’t mean, you or your coffee cup or that half eaten sandwich on your desk. They’ve always been 3D. I mean let’s go to the movies, get your plastic specs on and check out the extra dimension.

3D is the latest in a long line of fancy-shiny-things in the battle betwixt  your telly and cinema. The cinemas enticed us with wide-wide-screens, ear-bleedingly loud surround sounds and big-super-extra-giant-bucket sized cups. Sure, you can drink out of a bucket at home but so far the EXTRA DIMENSION is only available at the movies. But is it any good?
Read the rest of this entry »

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Furnik by David Suroviec

Written by andy 22nd July 2009, 8:07am

Posted in: 3D, Comedy

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This is sweet and such a simple idea. This curious monster is instantly lovable thanks to lively acting and movement. You’re hooked by his comical inquisitiveness and drawn in to his world.

This is great timing in action and a mini comedy diamond.

Another ace entry to our summer competition from director David Suroviec. Submit now for a chance to win a copy of Toon Boom!

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“Jack” and the “Beanstalk”

Written by andy 21st July 2009, 10:07am

Posted in: Comedy, Reviews

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I’ve been fighting the urge to say, “what’s with all the quotation marks, Joe?” …I lost.

I don’t know what you think about crabs. Not crabs the parasitic insect species and notorious groin infestation. No, crabs the decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura. Yeah those! Real crabs are creepy, they scuttle sideways and have too many legs. Luckily cartoon crabs are cute. This one is anyway. “Jack” shows a lot of character as he takes us through this unexpected sub-aquatic retelling of children’s classic Jack and The Beanstalk. “Jack” turns out to be a bit of a bad-ass, pirate-botherer and crusading crustacean for consumer rights. Although for some reason he sounds like Mickey mouse.

The film was produced in 24 hours by Joseph Daniels and Jedidiah Mitchell and their crack team of volunteer animators. If this is all too much for you, go check out Unnecessary Quotes, which will leave you with a nice, comforting feeling of smugness.

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