2013 Corona Fastnet Film Festival (Schull County Cork) from 22nd to 26th May

The 2013 Corona Fastnet Film Festival (in Schull County Cork from 22^nd to 26^th May) has invited me to look at ‘aspects of Irish Animation’. I will be chairing a round-table discussion of Irish Animation studio heads and practitioners. We’re hoping to get Boulder Media’s Rob Cullen, Brown Bag Film’s Darragh O’ Connell and possibly Paul Young from Cartoon Saloon. The discussion will be entitled ‘Irish Animation – Boom or Bubble?’
I’ll also be doing my presentation ‘The Anatomy of an Internet Series’ and one of my stopmotion short films will be featured in the Festival’s prestigious ‘Horsebox’ screening booth, the film interpreted by local artist Deirdre Cairns. Finally, models, props and characters from my stopmotion short films, TV series and other projects will be displayed in themed shop windows around the village of Schull. I’m exhausted already!

Animation MOOC Proposal

Finished an application today for a proposed IADT Animation MOOC entitled 'Animation - Beyond The Bouncing Ball'. The proposed MOOC would run on the iversity platform in Autumn 2013. The proposal says...

This MOOC is aimed at the thousands of individuals who’ve done some formal animation education or training, people who’ve been working in specialist areas of the animation industry and those millions of people worldwide who’ve learned their way into some aspect of animation through graphics, design or software.

Because of the specialised nature of animation and graphics industry and education, many people never quite understand how to become an Animation Author. This is especially true today, when internet video and digital technology allow us to reach global audiences – but we need concepts and ideas and we need to understand the responsibilities of broadcast authorship. And it would help if we could appreciate the value of Critical Thinking and Reflective Practice. And we want to have fun along the way! This MOOC will address all of those issues, in a fun and entertaining learning environment.

Proposal video available below... Click on image...

 

Paperdolls Again!

Monday 22nd April - Paperdolls again with 3rd Year (and a handful of 2nd Years). Great day! I did much better drawings this time around. Laura, Aisling, Louise, Baz, Emma, Ewa, Stephen, Will and the Lisa's missed all the fun...

 

I'm very proud! Melissa also tweeted a jpeg of me drawing... Laura loves the backlight on the head... I'm not so sure about the belly...

Fastnet Recce!

Saturday 20th April - Drive to Schull for the day to do the preliminary meetings and window recce for the Fastnet Film Festival. Great day with the committee and meeting Deirdre Cairns, the artist who'll be interpreting my films in 'The Horsebox'.

Get home at 23.00 - Kt worried...

Masters by Research Approved!

Friday 19th April! Approval letter arrives from IADT Registrar Marian O' Sullivan - My Research Masters (with practice component) is approved. Starts immediately (before the summer anyhow...)

IADT/UCD Science Research Presentations to WIT

Wednesday 17th April - Thanks to Dominic Mullan for the invite to present my work on RaiseYourIQ's Innovation Voucher and on The current IADT/UCD Science Research Projects. Presentation seemed to go well!

Then up to the Animation studio to present IADT/UCD Science Research Projects to Annie Doona, Bernard Mullarkey and Professor Peter Robertson. All very impressed!

Here's an image of one of the scenes in Eilis Hennessey's 'Friends Fight Stigma' project. Backgroiunds by Rebecca Nalty, characters by Sarah Walsh and Animation by Dee Mc Donnell, Sarah and Jamie Greene.

Maynooth - Media Studies

17th April - Thank you to Jeneen Naji and Barry Mc Cabe for inviting me once again to speak to the NUI Maynooth Media Studies undergrads about the 'cutbacks' series, animation in Ireland and internet video platforms. A very engaged group of students. Thank you Barry for looking after me!

Flu and Moocs

I had such great intentions for the Easter break and then I was floored by some flu bug, completely flattened, felled to a persistently geriatric state. Two weeks on, and I'm realising that I'm still not recovered from the bout.

In the meantime, some excellent guidance on how best to exploit the wonders and potentials of moocs...

http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/10-hot-tips-for-moocers/