The Guardian/Observer magazine article November 30th

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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.