April 2016 Update

I've been very remiss over the past few month, failing to update this blog through a very busy time. So a couple of April 2016 catchups...

First, we had a very successful Tempus ALIGN planning meeting in Poznan on the 18th and 19th of February, hosted by Zbigniew Palka and his AMU team. Thanks to all for the generous AMU hospitality. Lots of Tempus ALIGN work done, with solid plans for the progression of WP4. Next - site visits to Ukraina, Russia and Armenia in June and September!

Olexandr, DQ and Palka - Poznan

The Tempus ALIGN Poznan planning team

Second, a small IADT team has been working hard over the past few months on a Digital Skills in Action (DSA) case study. Our DSA project is a National Forum-sponsored initiative, involving all of our Leinster Pillar One cluster partners (IADT, NCAD, TCD, UCD and Marino). The IADT case study centres around an analysis of the digital aspects of our 'Intro2FACT' first year module. I presented our case study on the 11th March, at our IADT TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) Day.

Below is my interpretation of the 'All Aboard' digital skills metro map - my view of the digital skills required by (or used by) first year students in our Faculty.

my adaptation of the All Aboard digital skills metro map

The 'real' All Aboard metro map can be accessed through the link below...

http://allaboardhe.org/digital-skills-framework/

UCD Science Expressions from 2013

UCD's Dr. Brendan Rooney directed me towards this UCD Science Expressions website which features two of our 3rd year group animations from 2013 - 'Friends Fight Stigma' and 'Sanctity of Sport' (winner of the UCD Science Expressions competition in 2013 - I'm still trying to remember what prize we won exactly?). I never even knew the videos were online!

The projects were tough work at the time for some of our most brilliant DL041 Animation students, but there was great learning in the process.

UCD Science Expressions website

Sanctity of Sport (2013) on Youtube

http://www.ucdscienceexpression.ie/projects/new-project/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIf5IGT58EA&feature=youtu.be - Link to 'Friends Fight Stigma' on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uqK3EAzc6A&feature=youtu.be - Link to 'Sanctity of Sport' on Youtube

Watching More Closely Research Project

An exhausting Tuesday and Wednesday this week in IADT with Kataline Balint (University of Ausburg) and UCD's Brendan Rooney on Kati's 'Watching More Closely' research project. Edited artwork from Kayleigh Scullion (IADT DL832 Animation 3rd Year) into the 'Father and Daughter' film, then tweaked timings and artwork and did some start point video interviews with the team. Kati will test the new versions of the film out on a first sample group in mid-March.

DQ, Brendan, Kati and Kayleigh, IADT 180215

https://uni-augsburg.academia.edu/KatalinB%C3%A1lint

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katalinbalint

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!

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...

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.