Rebecca Manley : News

All aboard the Bum Bum Train!

2011-11-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been working on the You, Me, Bum Bum Train art department team.

'You Me Bum Bum Train (YMBBT) is a unique immersive theatre experience which has evolved over 7 years into an award winning show. Last year the event won The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award 2010 and co-produced a show with the Barbican throughout July 2010 in Bethnal Green. The show became the Barbican's fastest ever selling show, achieving high critical acclaim, including becoming the winners of The Evening Standard Theatre Award 2010 for 'Outstanding Newcomer'. A site-specific annual event, this year the Directors intend to create an experience more memorable than ever before in an undisclosed, disused London building, whilst next year YMBBT will feature as the centerpiece of the Barbican‟s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad...'

It is really fun working on the production with a good bunch of energetic and enthusiastic people. Next month's production is shaping up to be a pretty amazing show. If you want to see more about previous shows go to the website

But if you are planning to come and see the show, may I suggest turning up knowing as little as possible about it and then just going with the flow!

Here are some of the reviews it has received:

“This is a carousel of fantasies that made me rejoice in being alive” - The Evening Standard *****

“For those sound in wind, limb and mental health, I cannot recommend this brilliant and unique event too highly. It is hard to imagine an experience that plays with your brain quite as comprehensively as You Me Bum Bum Train”- The Daily Telegraph *****

“Aside from being a jolly good ride, it has a certain philosophical substance”- The New York Times

pink skull SOLD

2011-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to report that this pink Day of the Dead skull, with flower detail, will be winging its way to a new home later this week! Do contact me if you are interested in commissioning one:

info@rebeccamanley.com

Silhouette character designs

2011-11-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some initial character designs from a job that I've been working on this past week. They evolved into something else, but I thought these originals were worth a show.

Start Home page featuring my work

2011-10-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.start-london.com/
This link on the homepage is cool too!

Start London Halloween window display and store dressing short documentary

2011-10-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Start London Halloween window dressing from Rebecca Manley on Vimeo.

Here is the short documentary film we made about my Halloween installation at Start, shot and edited by Rebecca Kenyon. Check it out!

You can also view it on the Start blog here: http://blog.start-london.com/2011/10/31/a-rebecca-manley-halloween/

More Start

2011-10-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

Black Widow masks

back view

my hand painted tattoo

Brix Smith-Start stepping out in my Black Widow mask tonight

2011-10-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished creating the Halloween window for Start London. So get down to Rivington Street, Shoreditch and check it out! I had a really fun time working there thanks to all the amazing and friendly staff. The women's store is now temporary home to six of my large scale Day of the Dead skulls (with one more - the biggest skull - hanging in the men's store) as well as a collection of my smaller bijoux skulls. The skulls are of course inspired by original Mexican heads, but also by images of Frida Kahlo, tattoos and old English rhyme.

Matching stripes! - me and Brix in store

For the main window I made three Black Widow masks to put on the mannequins (see below). Brix is wearing one of these masks to a Halloween party tonight, so I'm looking forward to seeing the photos! These I crafted from card, fabric, netting and ribbon and finished with my handmade paper flowers. I then painted shocking pink silhouettes of symbols such as hearts, skulls and horse shoes on to the window itself. At the feet of the mannequins I made a bed of Mexican inspired fabric flowers and sat two of the large skulls (the Magician and the Gypsy) amidst them. And to finish, also on the window, I painted my tattoo logo and four tattoo inspired flowers.

At the moment I am in the process of creating a short film documenting the installation of the window - shot and edited by Rebecca Kenyon. I will post it up on Monday so check back then.

Through the window - chatting to Philip Start

Start London - sneak peak

2011-10-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak at some of the things that I have been making for Start London - in store from Monday.

New project - Start London Halloween dressing

2011-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

I am excited to have been asked to decorate A-mazing fashion boutique Start London (Brix -Smith Start) for Halloween with my Day of the Dead skulls. This is going to be a really exciting project, can't wait! Watch this space for more very soon...

About Start:

* 'Start was founded in 2002 by husband and wife team Brix and Philip Start – a decision incited by their observation that there was no where to shop for designer fashion in London’s up and coming Shoreditch...'

“People come to Start for the edit. Philip and Brix simply pick the best of the best.”
Melanie Rickey, Grazia

“Antique furniture, directional brands and must-have denim all make Start a much more interesting shopping experience than Bond Street.”
Drapers Record

(*copy from Start London website)

Both sides of the camera

2011-10-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am working with my friend director Lizzie Oxby on her latest project, a series of dramatic photographic stills. I can't reveal anything about them yet, but the idea is really elegant and intriguing. This time however I find myself on the other side of the camera for a change, as the model. We shot part of the project in South London last week and are set to shoot the second half this week in East London at Time for Tea, an absolutely amazing house owned and dressed by another friend of mine Johnny Vercoutre. At the same time, I am planning to shoot some footage for a short live action/animation piece of my own which I am very excited about.

Ferris Wheel

2011-09-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

On the Ferris Wheel at Harvest on Saturday.

Brockwell Lido Wednesday afternoon

2011-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

New website under construction

2011-08-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of creating a brand new shiny website. Looking forward to unveiling it very soon.

Young and High Club

2011-06-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to have my work on the Young and High Club website in their Artwerrk section:

'No Bullshit. Just the best new unsigned music.'

I'm looking forward to collaborating with them on some exciting projects in the future.

Vitamin Water : Cannes Video Contest 2011 prizewinner

2011-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I won a top 10 placing in the Cannes Lions 2011 Glacéau Vitamin Water video contest run by Mofilm.

The brief was as follows:

Vitamin Water wants a short ad that brings it's new creative campaign 'hydration only better' to life in a witty and surprising way.

My video Garden is a 60 second animated spot in which I created a fresh, modern and fun animated world influenced by the Glacéau Vitamin Water palette of vibrant colours; graphic patterns and Busby Berkeley-esque symmetry. The music that I have chosen, I think, enhances the colourful, ‘fruity’ theme and cheeky personality of the piece. I imagined a better, enhanced version of a garden. A magical place where Vitamin Water makes all the plants spring to life in a more exciting and dynamic way. I made the video on my own over a period of 4 weeks.

Update

2011-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty busy these past few weeks, so I thought that it was time for an update!

Recently I met up with the lovely Dani from Young and High Club. We had a coffee and a chat about my work. I am happy to say that some of my stuff will be gracing his website very soon. It's a very exciting place with lots going on so take a look. I am really looking forward to any future collaborations there.

I am also pleased to report that I have been shortlisted for the Divine Chocolate competition:

'To celebrate one hundred years of International Women’s Day and women’s empowerment among the cocoa farmers of Ghana – Divine Chocolate is joining forces with Birds Eye View to promote a wonderful opportunity for women film makers (professionals and amateurs) to create a short film about Divine'.

So I'm about to start story boarding and developing the idea further.

Last week I finished directing an entry for the MoFilm Cannes competition. I made a short animated commercial for Vitamin Water.

I am also waiting to see my Straight8 film for the first time. If you don't know about Straight8 check it out here.

So there's a lot of waiting to do!

Dum, di, dum....

My work on Vimeo

2011-03-31T11:08:00.001-07:00

I now have a shiny new Vimeo page! Please go to www.vimeo.com/rebeccamanley to view my directing portfolio including commercials and short films.

Straight8 2011

2011-03-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

This year I have once again entered the weird and wonderful world of Straight8 www.straight8.net

My brother Ben and I co-directed Birdman for the competition 7years ago and were ready to give it another try. This time we are co-directing again, and as always taking on multiple roles - Ben writer/actor, me art-director/model-maker.

It has been a hectic few weeks of preparation but it's also been very exciting. We shot the film this weekend (5th-6th March) thanks to a great team of people (full credits, production stills etc. coming soon) who all gave their time and expertise for free. Thank you, we couldn't have done it without any of you.

The film has been delivered so fingers crossed, and watch this space for more news!

London Eye Valentines

2011-02-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a still and a mini movie of the London Eye ad that I finished at the beginning of January.

The idea was to create a moving valentines card. Hopefully the overall result is a strong piece in my style but with an amalgamation of influences. For example the look of a Victorian handmade card, but with a slight nod to modern references such as to Rob Ryan's paper cut work, with a palette of warm, bold, bright shades of colours associated with the occasion - pinks and reds.

We created the card by cutting out all the elements by hand and animating and compositing them in After Effects, overlaying scanned textures and details just to give it that extra depth.

The piece was designed and directed by me, produced by Maria Manton and composited by Alasdair Brotherston. All artwork was cut out by hand by me and Amanda Manley; with extra compositing by Luca Paulli.

Latest Commercials

2011-02-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

FIFA 20 CENTRES FOR 2010
Agency: Comic Relief
Client: FIFA
Dir: Rebecca Manley

PSP LITTLE BIG PLANET
Agency: Love Creative
Client: Sony
Dir: Rebecca Manley

STARBUCKS DISCOVER
Agency: Arnold New York
Client: Starbucks/Hershey's
Dir: Rebecca Manley

FAIRY MAKE A WISH
Agency: Grey London
Client: P&G
Dir: Rebecca Manley

London Eye Valentines

2011-01-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished a 5 second ad for the EDF Energy London Eye Valentine's package. It will be appearing on LCD screens on the London underground from the 31st of this month.

Review of 2010

2011-01-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

Well 2010 was a very busy year for me:

In April I won a competition to make an animated advert for the Museums at Night event across the UK. The brief was – to produce a short animation (any technique, any style) to promote Museums at Night – our national weekend of late night museum openings.

At the beginning of June I finished directing a short film for the FIFA World Cup Kick off concert in South Africa. The concert featuring the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and Alicia Keys, was was broadcast all over the world, and with an audience of 30,000 people at the Orlando stadium in Soweto it looked like there was a pretty amazing atmosphere there. The project was overseen by Richard Curtis and the Comic Relief team.

In July I was selected to be part of the Re-Animate scheme 2010 run by Warp and Birds Eye View:

‘…ReAnimate is the new animation development initiative from Warp Films and Birds Eye View with the support of Skillset Film Skills Fund. Focusing on the worlds of screenwriting and animation, we will select up to 20 exceptional British women and equip them with the contacts and creative support they need to produce smart, commercial, animation ideas for the international marketplace…’

I collaborated on two feature film ideas with writer Carol Noble. Currently, although no longer on the scheme, we are still developing some exciting ideas together.

At the end of November I finished directing a short film For Fairy Liquid and Make a Wish Foundation with ad agency Grey London. The film is currently playing at cinemas across the UK, and accompanies digital projections of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Mega Mind.

Currently I am directing a short ad for The London Eye with agency Farm.

Here’s to an equally busy 2011!

Fairy Make a Wish Movie Released in UK cinemas

2010-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the short film that I directed and designed for Fairy Liquid and Make a Wish Foundation. It was released on Friday at cinemas across the UK, and accompanies digital projections of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Mega Mind.

Fairy film in the can

2010-12-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

I have just finished directing a commercial/short film at Slinky for Fairy Liquid through ad agency Grey London. The 2 min 20 sec film will be released in cinemas across the UK in the run up to Christmas. It is a piece that I am very proud of, and was created with a lot of care and attention to detail despite an extremely tight schedule. I will post a proper credits list with the film after its release, but until then a BIG THANK YOU to all the members of the team that worked with me on this and gave their all to produce such a charming film. I can't wait to see it on the big screen!

New job

2010-09-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well I am back at Slinky directing a commercial/short film with agency Grey London. It's a really exciting project and I am very happy to be involved. (The film is due for cinema release at the beginning of December). More details at a later date, but in the meantime I'd better get back to my storyboard...

Passion

2010-09-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am working at Passion Pictures on a commercial for the US directed by John Robertson.

Warp & Birds Eye View Re-Animate

2010-07-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to have been invited to be part of the Re-Animate scheme 2010 run by Warp and Birds Eye View:

'...ReAnimate is the new animation development initiative from Warp Films and Birds Eye View with the support of Skillset Film Skills Fund.

Focusing on the worlds of screenwriting and animation, we will select up to 20 exceptional British women and equip them with the contacts and creative support they need to produce smart, commercial, animation ideas for the international marketplace...'

This is a great opportunity and I am really looking forward to developing some ideas through the scheme.

Watch this space!

Birds Eye View

FIFA film cool links

2010-06-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some cool links to the film that I thought I'd share:

http://blog.iamasource.it/blog/2010-06-19/design_inspiration_le_migliori_risorse_grafiche_sui_mondiali_di_calcio_2010_in_sudafrica.aspx

http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2010-06-26-african-youth-score-with-fifa-football-for-hope

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cameron-sinclair/african-youth-score-with_b_627112.html

FIFA film broadcast all over the world

2010-06-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

FIFA 20 Centres for 2010 from Slinky Pictures on Vimeo.

The World Cup Kick off concert was broadcast all over the world last Thursday 10/06/10. And with an audience of 30,000 people at the Orlando stadium in Soweto it looked like there was a pretty amazing atmosphere there.

Unfortunately they didn't show the film on the BBC coverage, but it was broadcast on tv in other countries including Italy and Germany, as well as online. Here is a link to the German tv coverage so you can see the film in context (It is about 28 mins in. Please note that in this broadcast unfortunately it has been squashed and cropped top and bottom):

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/hauptnavigation/startseite/#/beitrag/video/1067194/Eröffnungskonzert-der-Fußball-WM-2010

World Cup film delivered!

2010-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday we delivered the film to Comic Relief, and the tapes are flying out to South Africa as we speak.

It looks great. So I'm really excited, and hoping to see it on tv on Thursday 10th during the coverage of the opening concert.

A big THANK YOU to all the team at Slinky that worked so hard to get it all done to a tight schedule: Maria, Ryan, Rob, Luca, Toby, Nick, Michael, and Dorothee. Also a big thanks to Jo at 750mph who did an absolutely amazing job on the sound, also Nancy at 750mph for fitting us in, Pete Ellmore our brilliant DOP, Matt and Max at Clapham Road, Syleste for her lovely arm, Steve Maud for the live action footage, and Gary and George at Munky for squeezing us in on Friday.

Couldn't have done it without you all!

Directing a short film for The World Cup opening concert

2010-05-27T03:15:00.001-07:00

Currently I am on the home straight directing a short film to be screened at the World Cup opening concert in Johannesburg on the 10th of June. The project is through Slinky Pictures and we are working with a team at Comic Relief headed by Richard Curtis. The client is FIFA. It'll be exciting to see the final film on the big screens at the concert - even if only on tv!

Museums at Night competition Win

2010-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

So it was a good start to the week, they let me know on Monday that I won the Museums at Night animation competition!

Museums at Night 2010 will run from Friday 14th May to Sunday 16th May. Night owls can look forward to a weekend of nocturnal adventures as museums unlock their doors for the annual after-hours celebration.

The brief was - to produce a short animation (any technique, any style) to promote Museums at Night - our national weekend of late night museum openings. The intention of the animation is to get people to visit the Museums at Night page on the Culture24 website to find an event that they want to go to. Culture24 teamed up with animators Kanoti to select the winner from 25 entries.

Check out the Culture 24 website HERE where my ident will be appearing very soon! (And of course I will also be posting it up on my blog).

Article about my work in DPI magazine - out now!

2010-02-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

I am really pleased with this beautiful article, about my work, just published in issue 130 of DPI magazine. Yay!

Little Big Planet for PSP

2010-01-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

DPI magazine Taiwan

2010-01-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have just found out that I am to be featured in an upcoming issue of the beautifully designed DPI magazine from Taiwan ' For the most up-to-date trends in design and innovation...' I will post it up when I get hold of a final copy. Exciting!

ICA panel

2010-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night I had fun being on the panel at the ICA (www.ica.org.uk) as part of the London Short film Festival. I stepped in at the last minute as a replacement for Slinky's Chris Shepherd.The discussion was about the future of UK animation and how to get into the industry. It followed a retrospective of work from over the last ten years by animation company Nexus. My fellow panel members were the lovely Chris O'Reilly, Adam and Alan aka Smith & Foulkes from Nexus, and the evening was chaired by Shooting People's James Mullighan.

Little Big Planet commercial for PSP (Playstation portable) airs

2009-11-20T03:17:00.001-08:00

Last month I finished directing a 30 second tv commercial for Playstation's Little Big Planet on the PSP. An animated extravaganza combining lots of different techniques - pixellation, stop-motion, and CGI animation - all condensed into a short space of time.

The initial idea for the commercial from Mike Hughes at LOVE creative, was to take the hand-crafted feel of the game with all its amazing textures and materials and combine this with a very fresh, and modern approach to the visuals.

The main character Sackboy is really fun, cute and cool. Just like on the PS3 you can change his outfits and put him in various different moods as you play. This facility for customization means that he appeals to an extremely wide range of people, across different age groups. I wanted to use his charm and personality to full effect in this ad. He is cheeky, energetic and inquisitive and I pushed this in his body language and actions. There is also I hope an injection of humour and cool in the ad which mirrors the feeling of the game itself.

And by the way, if you haven't played the game - get out there and try it! I have to confess that a few of us, in the crew, were either already hooked or became a little hooked on the game during production. I hold my hands up as one of the latter. The others of you - you know who you are!

The commercial aired for the first time on Wednesday the 18th November. But you can also see it on the Slinky website. Just click on the link top right (of my blog page).

Take a look!

It's turning chilly

2009-10-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to be back at Clapham Road Studios in Stockwell, shooting a new commercial for Playstation. It's a mixture of stop-motion, pixellation and CGI and I'm really enjoying all the different elements. I'm currently wearing two jumpers and a scarf though because it's gotten a bit chilly lately.

House of Cards Exhibition in Aid of Shelter

2009-09-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I attended the private view of the House of Cards exhibition at the Haunch of Venison Gallery, London, W1.

A great concept, thought up by the creative minds at ad agency Leo Burnett, the exhibition is made up of works from some of the country's most prolific artists, designers, and photographers.

Contributing artists include: Vivienne Westwood, Tim Walker, Amelia's Magazine, and Damien Hirst to name but a few.

Each artist came up with a piece for one of the cards in a classic deck of playing cards. And so the collective works make up a complete set (1000 limited edition packs of over-sized cards are/were available to buy at the gallery shop). Each piece is up for auction this week in aid of Shelter the housing and homelessness charity - so it's all for a great cause.

My tiny contribution to all this is that my illustration was part of Amelia's Magazine's artwork - the 2 of Hearts quilt. It was great to finally see it in the flesh. I love Amelia's choice of very different styles which combine together to make a truly eclectic looking, colourful and interesting piece.

Here's a phone pic of me standing next to it

Here's the Vivienne Westwood

the Tim Walker, (my favourite photographer)

and the diamond dusted Damien Hirst

I think it's still up this week, so trundle along and take a look!

Shelter believes everyone needs a home in a place where they can thrive.

We help over 170,000 people a year fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. We also tackle the root causes of bad housing by campaigning for new laws, policies, and solutions.

Our work won’t stop until there’s a home for everyone. Please help us.

Visit shelter.org.uk to join our campaign, find housing advice, or make a donation.

TOPSHOP Oxford Circus exhibition NOW up!

2009-09-07T04:01:00.000-07:00

My exhibition of day of the dead skulls - 'Gypsy, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor...' is now up in TOPSHOP Oxford Circus, on the main floor (down one escalator, opposite the blow dry bar). Go check it out!

You can also see the making of video, and read more about the idea at www.soldiersailor.net

DepicT! news - Breaking the Mould in cinemas nationwide

2009-08-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

'DepicT! ‘08 Winning Films on the Digital Screen Network

Last year’s winners Enough, What’s Virgin Mean? and Breaking the Mould have been digitised by Arts Alliance Media, scrutinised by the BBFC (15, PG and U respectively, if you’re curious) and sent out to cinemas through the Digital Screen Network where they’ll be screened before feature films.

Venues confirmed include: Showrooom in Sheffield, Glasgow Film Theatre, ICA in London, Broadway in Nottingham, Quad in Derby, Cornerhouse in Manchester, Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge and, of course, Watershed in Bristol! They’ll be playing the shorts with titles including Fish Tank, Broken Embraces and Mid-August Lunch, so keep an eye out and let us know what you think!'

Taken from the DepicT! newsletter 10/08/09

Amelia's Magazine Shelter Card Quilt

2009-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the amazing Shelter Card Quilt, put together by Amelia Gregory, and made up of of 54 designs. It will be auctioned in aid of Shelter later this year. You can see my card third from the bottom, far left. I'm really excited to be part of the project, and I think it looks fab. Let's hope that it raises a lot of money for this worthy cause.

Amelia's magazine Illustration success

2009-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Amelia contacted me to say that my illustration has made it on to her Shelter quilt design (see Monday 8th of June post), so I'm really pleased! It will be exhibited as part of the Shelter charity art show this summer. Yay!

Workshop Missoni: Daring to be Different

2009-07-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the opening of Workshop Missoni, an exhibition focusing on the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, attended by Luca, Ottavio and Rosita Missoni.

I really enjoyed the clothes that were on display, and the video featuring Ottavio and Rosita Missoni talking about their lives and influences. It was interesting to see them looking at colours in nature and their native Italy for inspiration - the terracottas, the stone, the spectrum of greys in the woodland from dark almost slate to violets and green greys. It was also fascinating to take a glimpse of them at work in the studio - the drawings, the swatches, the knitting machinery.

(Also in this video was the artist Kaffe Fasset. I remember his books being on the shelves at home ever since I was a child. My mum who has always made amazing knitted creations, has always been a big fan. Follow the link to Kaffe Fasset Studio here)

There's an article about the exhibition here at indieLONDON

Workshop Missoni: Daring to be Different, will be on display at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art from July 1 to September 20, 2009.

TOPSHOP Oxford Circus - Solo Exhibition September '09

2009-06-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

I just found out this week that I have landed a solo exhibition for 2 weeks at TOPSHOP, Oxford Circus, London! The exhibition will run from Monday the 7th September. It's super exciting! I will be showing some new 3D work, (more info nearer the time).

Fantaspoa titles

2009-06-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Luca and I were asked to create a title sequence for this year's Fantaspoa fantasy film festival in Brazil. They had seen our award winning short Breaking the Mould and very much liked the aesthetic. So we set about creating a 3D world populated by characters representing the fantasy sci-fi genre, but in our style.

Although Breaking the Mould was built in After Effects 3D, with a CGI character, this time we explored the potential of 3D cameras and space a bit more. However, like Breaking the Mould, the piece was created using both 2D and 3D animation and elements. We animated in Maya, After Effects, and Flash.

Once again the music is an original piece from (former Enid Blitz frontman) Barney Wade.

* For a higher res version of the video go here

Blur's comeback gig Wakes Colne

2009-06-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

'As the small "friends and family" crowd gather when Blur take to their makeshift stage around eight-ish, more fans gather outside the museum's fence straining to peer in through the windows, catching the songs on the night breeze'.

Paul Stokes NME 27/06/09

That was us....The 13th June, our Nanna's 90th birthday, was a day that I will never forget. Having had a birthday lunch at the Angel Hotel in Bury St. Edmunds my brother Toby, my cousin Barney and I decided to take a trip back to Wakes Colne to soak up the atmosphere at Blur's first gig for 10 years, at the East Anglian Railway Museum Wakes Colne, near Colchester. Toby and I grew up in a house on that very same road, and it was where we first heard, and fell in love with Blur's music over 15 years ago. As we drove up the road to check out the situation at the museum, our hearts sank a bit as we saw people with neon yellow wristbands ambling happily down the road towards the pub. We didn't have tickets. After a few polite enquiries from some very nice official type people, we discovered what we already knew - there weren't any tickets available on the door. Feeling a little dejected but still determined to come back and listen to the gig from the outside later on, we headed down to the pub (to meet up with a friend of Toby's whom we'd seen when we arrived in the village).

Parking on the village green next to our old primary school, we went in and ordered drinks and a packet of crisps at the bar. I felt a bit jealous as we went out to join Toby's friend sitting in the courtyard. But as I sat down he said to me, 'You realize that they are in here don't you?' Blur were in the pub having dinner with their families. That was weird for me. The number of times I've been in that pub as a kid, I never would have thought that I would see my favourite band in there - it seemed quite incongruous. They looked really relaxed, and Alex was walking around grinning from ear to ear. As the start time of the gig approached, we were surprised to see Damon, Alex, Graham and Dave still in there until the last minute. As they left, we finished our drinks and headed up Station Road to listen.

It was a beautiful evening and as we heard the first chord of She's So High and the crowd's roar, we couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and emotion. 'That's not a recording, that's real' Barney said. And it was. We ended up outside the fence listening to the gig with a few other fans and the sound was amazing. We'd been there for about 4 or 5 songs when suddenly one of Blur's entourage waved at us from the other side of the tracks. Then she said the magic words 'I've got some more tickets. I'm coming round'. We surged up the platform, and our hands shook as we attached our wrist bands. Running up the steps and across the railway bridge we were laughing, hardly able to believe our luck. And as the doors of the old railway shed opened and we heard the first few bars of Beetlebum we couldn't contain our joy....we were in!

The gig was amazing. They sounded great, and the energy in the room was electric. Popscene, Song 2, Coffee and TV, End of a Century... they kept them coming. Damon said that this would be the longest set they would play in the coming weeks. And as he waved to his dad, or shared a moment with Graham I felt almost tearful, they were just having fun. I got a couple of big smiles from Alex, and chants of 'We love you Dave!' carried over the buzz of an ecstatic crowd. But my best moment was when during Chemical World (I think - to be honest I can't remember much about that moment) I reached over and touched Damon's arm, and he grabbed my hand and held on to it. I felt his energy surging through my hand and, as the girls next to me screamed, I thought 'Wow this is the best gig I've ever been to!'

Whoever thought that the evening of my Nanna's 90th birthday could be so cool.

Breaking the Mould in Rushes Festival

2009-06-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that Breaking the Mould has been selected for this year's Rushes Soho Shorts festival in the Animation category.

www.sohoshorts.com

Amelia's magazine illustration submission

2009-06-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday I submitted my design for Amelia's magazine open design brief, in aid of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter.

The brief was to design a 2 of hearts playing card. The winning designs will be chosen and put together to form a massive patchwork quilt of cards in many different styles and designs. Said quilt will then be part of an exhibition that Shelter are putting on in the summer. Other designers and artists contributing to the exhibition include Stella Vine, Basso and Brooke and Rachel Whiteread. The final artworks will be auctioned to raise money for the charity.

My idea was to use artichoke hearts as the main imagery. I eat them a lot when I am in Italy and they are so yummy with olive oil and lemon! I used bright, yet organic colours, with a sunshine yellow to evoke the zingy flavour of the lemon.

www.ameliasmagazine.com
www.shelter.org.uk

Fairy Design

2009-05-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is a fairy design that I did for a title sequence that Luca and I were asked to create for a festival in Brazil. It will be released in a few weeks time.

Cbeebies Show Me, Show Me

2009-04-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

I just finished a very enjoyable month animating on new Cbeebies programme 'Show Me, Show Me' at Trunk Animation, with director Siri Melchior at the helm. Animation-wise there are some really fun characters, all beautifully designed by Siri, and some cool stories to watch. If you have tinies, look out for it!

'Show Me Show Me brings together much loved CBeebies pair Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee in an all-new series, in which the two play, explore and investigate in their exciting new playroom with shouts of "show me, show me!".....Come and play! Enter the lift, press the button and count the floors from one-to-ten on a magical, musical journey to the top floor flat where Chris and Pui have a playroom in the sky...'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/11_november/25/childrens7.shtml

Google AdWords

2009-03-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Luca and I designed and animated this 3 minute animation for Google AdWords.
It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed working from home, drinking lots of tea, and animating our character Ada.

Here is the YouTube link to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zw9Yepkbx8&hd=1

Animation Blog

2009-01-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

Ian Lumsden has written about my work on his animation blog. Check it out here http://www.animationblog.org/

Showreel

2009-01-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a reel I haven't uploaded previously. It's made up of some of my direction and animation work. (For more hand drawn and stop-motion animation take a look at the Starbucks post back in May).

Levis pitch Illustrations

2009-01-14T05:03:00.001-08:00

I was looking through my portfolio today and came across some illustrations I did for a Levis pitch in 2007. I would like to do some more work like this in 2009, as I really enjoy fashion and had great fun producing the drawings. Here are two of my favourites from the bunch. The first was created using Windsor Newton Ink and watercolour on Bristol Board, and the second was drawn in pencil on cartridge paper. I then took them both into Photoshop, where I cleaned them up and added coloured textures to the some of the clothing.

Findlay Brown 'Love Will Find You' promo

2009-01-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I found myself on the other side of the camera this time, as an actor, being directed by Joe Tunmer in a promo for Findlay Brown's new single 'Love Will Find You'. I don't want to give anything away so I'll keep it short but, amongst other things, my role required that I learn two verses of the song and mime to a recording of Findlay's voice. I'm really excited to see the end result.

Thanks to Joe, the crew, and everyone at GaiaNova Productions for making it such an enjoyable experience.

To listen to the song, and find out more about both Findlay and Joe:
http://www.myspace.com/findlaybrown
http://www.digitalsneakers.co.uk/ltd/Joe_Tunmer.html

Breaking the Mould screening at the Rich Mix E1

2009-01-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Breaking the Mould will be in the 'Trick of Light' screening at the Rich Mix cinema this Wednesday the 14th January at 7.30pm:

Wed 14 January | 7.30pm
New Shorts 5: Trick of the Light (and East End Film Festival Award)
A selection of short films with gorgeous and sumptuous imagery in this stunning collection of rich cinematography and beautiful images. The programme includes the Encounters Film Festival UK award winner SEPTEMBER by Esther May Campbell, and the hit of the London and Edinburgh film festivals K by Piers Thompson. Watch out for the epic Cinematic Orchestra-produced short film TO BUILD A HOME starring Peter Mullen. The East End Film Festival will award the best overall cinematography and creative imagery within a short film.
www.eastendfilmfestival.com

Films:
TO BUILD A HOME (Andrew Griffin, 13 min)
SEPTEMBER (Esther May Campbell, 21 min)
RAPUNZEL’S FLIGHT (Gustavo Arteaga, 7 min)
PATIENCE (Robert Hackett, 7 min)
THE PRIEST (Ivana Bobic, 6 min)
BREAKING THE MOULD (Rebecca Manley / Luca Paulli, 2 min)
POP ART (Amanda Boyle, 16 min)
K (Piers Thompson, 20 min)

Running time: 92 min

http://www.richmix.org.uk/film_ldnshort08.htm

Breaking the Mould at LSFF and NYICFF 2009

2008-12-08T03:45:00.000-08:00

Breaking the Mould has just been selected to screen at both the London Short Film Festival 2009 and the New York International Children's Film Festival 2009.

The film will be part of the Trick of Light screening at the Rich Mix, East London, on Wednesday 14th January at 7.30pm. And the NYICFF runs from the 27th February to the 15th March 2009.

Hooray!

Breaking the Mould WINS at Encounters Short Film Festival!

2008-11-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend Breaking the Mould won the 'Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award' at Encounters Short Film Festival!

We had a great time at the festival, met lots of talented people, and made some new friends.

We are really pleased to know that lots of people loved our film, and would like to say a Great BIG thank you to everyone who voted for it!

Breaking the Mould ‘…a colourful journey through the life of an adventurous apple.’ won one of three DepicT! awards this year, and was the only animated piece to take home a prize.

The shortlist of twelve films was compiled from over 350 entries from 33 countries and over 1800 public votes were cast this year to decide the winner of the Audience Award.

(www.depict.org/news)

New Rebecca & Molly Fish brooches at @ Work gallery, Brick Lane now!

2008-11-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

A NEW shoal of Rebecca & Molly fish brooches is swimming its way to @ Work Gallery Brick Lane as we speak! So dust off your fishing tackle and go take a look!

I make all these brooches individually, by hand, using recycled fabrics, buttons and beads (for more information go to www.rebeccamanley.com/otherwork.html and click on Rebecca & Molly). They're the perfect Christmas gift, so don't miss out.

Bespoke orders are available direct, just e-mail me at info@rebeccamanley.com

The Guardian/Observer magazine article November 30th

2008-10-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

There will be an article about me in the Guardian's Observer magazine on November 30th 2008, in conjunction with Courvoisier the Future 500. Look out for it!

Snow Patrol extras download now available on itunes!

2008-10-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

You can now download the interactive booklet for Snow Patrol's new album A Hundred Million Suns on itunes (for ipod touch and iphone). I animated the stars...take a look.

Vote Breaking the Mould!

2008-10-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

BREAKING THE MOULD SHORTLISTED FOR DEPICT! COMPETITION 2008

Our film Breaking the Mould is in competition for Depict! at Encounters short film festival.

You can now go to www.depict.org/shortlists/232 and vote for us!

HOOrAYyyy!

Luca and Rebecca

Breaking the Mould shortlisted for DepicT! 2008

2008-09-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

We just found out that our short film Breaking the Mould got shortlisted for the DepicT! short film competition at the Encounters festival 2008! You can vote for it online from October 6th, I'll post the link when voting is opened, but to check out the festival website go to :

www.encounters-festival.org.uk

Snow Patrol : New album

2008-09-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is me animating some stuff for the extra content section of the new Snow Patrol Album :

A Hundred Million Suns, to be released this autumn.

Music Week online:

'Snow Patrol and Apple aim for the skies

10:06 | Monday September 1, 2008

By Stuart Clarke

Snow Patrol will become the first artists to deliver an interactive album application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, ahead of the release of their fifth studio album next month.

The application, which will be downloadable online, will enable fans to access a raft of extra content including artwork, behind-the-scenes images and lyrics via the touch screen of their handsets, marking the first time a music artist has made use of the iPhone’s extra capabilities...'

See the band's website for a cool time-lapse video of the album cover shoot:

www.snowpatrol.com

Breaking the Mould

2008-06-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just finished co-directing a short film called Breaking the Mould with Luca Paulli.

It is the story of an intrepid apple who, instead of rotting on the ground, goes on a journey and sees the world. It was made as part of the Animator in Residence scheme at the University of Wales, Newport.

The film is being distributed by Slinky Pictures and you can see an online version on their website:

go to our work>shorts, and it is on the top of the list.

Starbucks chocolate

2008-05-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

I directed two spots for Starbucks chocolate, for the States, with agency Arnold NYC. The commercials (30" and 15") will air all over the US in May. We created a rich and textural feel to the commercials by shooting the animation under camera using chalk on blackboard, and then compositing this together with stop motion animation (of chocolate models).

It took me about two weeks in total to animate all the chalk on board, and whilst I was doing this, I fed through footage to the compositors. We did final post production in London, and final sound was created in the States.

Agency: Arnold NYC, Creative Director: Kate Wadia, Art Director/Illustrator: Gradwell Sears, Copy Writer: Meghan Williams, Director/Illustrator: Rebecca Manley, Producer: Eric Herrmann, Producer: Maria Manton, Animation Studio: Slinky, Music: Human Worldwide, Edit: Munky

DOP: Peter Ellmore, Lighting assistant: Matt Day, Models: Artem, Stop motion animation: Dennis Russo, Compositing: John Taylor and Rob Ward, Pre-vis animation: Suzanne Deakin, Production assistants Ryan Smith and Vassiliki Panagiotou, Thanks: 750mph; James Newport.

E4 music Re-brand

2008-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

In January I finished model-making for the E4 Music re-brand directed by Andy Martin, at production company Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We handmade many copies of the heads and bodies of his crazy, weird creatures using Fimo clay. Andy then brought them to life using ' ...a mix of stop frame animation and post production effects and animation.'

Go to: http://xplsv.tv/movie/2663/ and click on +watch to see some of them.

Summerhill Titles for BBC

2008-01-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

I directed and animated the title sequence, and some other animated content, for BBC drama Summerhill (directed by Jon East).

The animation on the painted board was created by Suzanne Deakin, and animated content was produced at Slinky by Maria Manton and Liz Chan, compositing by Luca Paulli; producer at Tiger Aspect : Stephen Smallwood, exec. producers : Greg Brenman and Jon East, line producer : Ken Baker.