Return from Croatia!

The revalidation visits and meetings in Academy of Applied Arts University of Rijeka and in University of Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts are done, and I reluctantly return from Croatia!

Group shot - Branko, Dea, Marina, Egle, Davor, Janja, Goran and DQ in Rijeka (image by Egle)

Enormous thanks to our revalidation panel - Janja Sacic, Bozica Dea Matasic, Egle Ganda Bogdaniene, Branko Matulic and Vjeko Kis. It was a pleasure and an honour to work with you all. You have given me many new and valuable insights, lessons, perspectives and hopes for the future!

Huge appreciation too to AZVO's Davor Juric and Marina Grubisic, who kept us on time and on track and whose determined organisation of our training, visits, meetings, travel and accommodation allowed us every opportunity to focus on our tasks in hand! Thanks also to Goran for his expert translations!

There is much work to do in education in Croatia, but I have every confidence that the nation will take strength from its hugely important place in the history of art to guide the students of the future (from Croatia and from all over our globe) to become great artists and even greater human beings! Our work has truly been 'emotional labour', a very moving and inspirational experience. I learned many things and I promise that I will return to learn much more!

Thanks to all!

Kvarner Bay, Rijeka

Ceramics, Rijeka

Davor and Janje, Rijeka

Dea and Branko, Ceramics, Rijeka

Dea, Janje, Egle and Marina, Rijeka

Dean and Davor, Rijeka

Dean and Library, Rijeka

Egle and Erasmus ceramic student, Rijeka

Goran, Rijeka

Mosaics, Rijeka

Mosaics, Rijeka

Trip back to Zagreb from Rijeka

Art Academy Zagreb - Maca

Another Art Academy Zagreb Maca

Branko, Dean, Natalia, Vjeko, Davor, Marina and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb

Egle, Vjeko and Marina, Art Academy Zagreb

Dean's office, Art Academy Zagreb 

Branko, Egle, Dea and Professor, Art Academy Zagreb

Big plaster horse, DQ in Art Academy Zagreb

Librarians, Tania, Marina and Dea, Library, Art Academy Zagreb

Library, Art Academy Zagreb

Branko in Library, Art Academy Zagreb

first year space, Art Academy Zagreb

Vjeko, DQ, Dea and Life Drawing students, Art Academy Zagreb (image by Egle)

Life Drawing, Art Academy Zagreb

Life Drawing, Art Academy Zagreb

Sculpture, Art Academy Zagreb

A mysterious student and her dark works, Art Academy Zagreb

Mysterious student, DQ and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb (image by Egle)

Animation and New Media student, Art Academy Zagreb

Animation and New Media students, Art Academy Zagreb

Vjeko, Egle and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb

View through atelier window, Art Academy Zagreb

Statue of Jan Jelacica, Trg Bana Jelacica, Zagreb

Frankfurt Airport - blue screen of death (computer issues in Fraport delay Friday's flights)

https://www.azvo.hr/en/

http://www.bozica.matasic.com/

On my very brief lightning tour of Zagreb centre, I nearly got to visit the 'Museum of Broken Relationships' - looks fascinating! Next time!

https://brokenships.com/en/visit

Sunday - Zagreb

It's unearthly early on a Sunday (Sunday) morning in the International Hotel in Zagreb, Croatia. I'm here as one of the international experts on a re-accreditation panel for two Academies - The Academy of Applied Arts, University of Rijeka and Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. Lots and lots of documentation to look through... First, we have a couple of hours 'panel training' to look forward to. On a Sunday!

Zagreb - Sunday

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

The Bigger Picture

The Bigger Picture - winner of Best Short Animation at last night's BAFTA's. A lifesized animated short. Wow.

http://www.thebiggerpicturefilm.com/trailer/

IADT Plagiarism Policy - staff briefing

Yesterday, as part of my Teaching and Learning Committee responsibilities, I assisted Dr. Marion Palmer in a staff briefing on IADT's revised Plagiarism Policy in the STAR. A (tellingly) small group, but excellent questions and a lively, engaged debate commences the Committee's cross-Institute briefings.

We need to get all heads (lecturers and students) around the fact that reliable and appropriate sourcing, referencing and attribution of all types of media is not just an academic exercise, but is a key research skill and a crucial part of the development of professional practice.

Uncontrolled mash-up, reuse and blasé or willful ignorance of copyright and IP issues can be the paths to amateurism, IP theft and ultimately bad business. The debate will continue over the next few months!

http://www.iadt.ie/en/InformationAbout/TeachingandLearning/PlagiarismPolicy/

All Good Things Graduate!

Last Wednesday (19th of November 2014) the Good Things of IADT Animation were conferred in the RDS! A joy to see most of the gang, gowned up and looking wonderful. Really sorry I didn't get to say 'hi' to everyone on the day. We have every confidence that you will make us hugely proud out there in the big wide world! Congrats to you all! We miss you terribly.

I'm not standing in the middle next year - it looks like I just graduated!

Steve. Lolo, DQ, Mel and Anita!

 Miss Carroll and DQ

Fantastic to have Cathal Gaffney being bestowed with an IADT Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding lifetime achievements in the business of animation and media. Cathal gave us all a great shout (by name) out in his speech, as being people who really influenced his to become involved in animation in the first place, and he also gave prominent mention to one of our IADT stars from the past Bronagh O' Hanlon - Disney's go-to woman! Very generous! Congratulations to Cathal!

Cathal makes his hugely gracious, generous speech! Well done man!

http://www.brownbagfilms.com/labs/entry/cathal-gaffney-awarded-honorary-fellowship-from-iadt

http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/irish_film_industry/news/Morgan_OSullivan_Cathal_Gaffney_Receive_IADT_Honorary_Fellow_Award/2611

My Last Short Film - Ever!

The time has come to officially announce that my current animated short 'A Warning To All Kings' will be my last ever.

I've now completed 11 animated shorts - only three of them have been fully funded. My last 5 animated shorts have emerged (self-funded) from my 'cutbacks' internet series. Whilst the self-funded films have won prizes and have been very successful on the film festival circuit, they've cost me (and my family) an arm and a leg to produce and promote. I don't have the financial resources to continue this activity. As a very good friend says 'we gotta give up making short films, they're killing us'. Tony Donoghue describes 'a short film ghetto' from which escape is practically impossible. There's no money in this activity (there never was, I know) but the longer form (specifically tv) projects which I'd hoped would emerge from the success of my recent short film work have not materialised - funders are not interested. Schemes like Frameworks are fantastic, but they're getting harder and harder to access.

I now must concentrate on returning to tv production - the 'machines' series for RTE in 1999 was my last tv series. I don't care if my return to tv production takes years - it must be done. That's where the funding lies.

A Warning To All Kings - image

1991 - Arts Council Film and Video Award for ‘To Forget’ short film (stop motion) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL-NLR3bpeA&list=UUT34LrcyJLGwiMF6CmyhPKA

2000 - Frameworks Award for ‘Florida War’ short film (CGI) 
2002 ‘Forest’ short film (CGI) 
2006 ‘Press p To Play’ short film (machinima) 
2007 ‘biography (of DT Finn)’ short film (machinima) 
2008 - Frameworks Award for ‘T’was a Terrible Hard Work’ short film (stop motion) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APEMB_tDFWY&list=UUT34LrcyJLGwiMF6CmyhPKA

2010 'Mister Heaney - a wee portrait' (short film - stopmotion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAtwCCtBOKo&list=UUT34LrcyJLGwiMF6CmyhPKA

2011 May 'leitronium' (short film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KFBR_hUV1s

2011 May 'rinkydink and the salmon of knowledge' (short film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7m7yJJm38w

2013 May 'Furniture, Murder and Love' (short film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msbQW2crEPk&list=UUT34LrcyJLGwiMF6CmyhPKA


2014 May 'A Warning To All Kings' (short film)

http://www.davidquin.ie/CV.html

Jazis - ANAMU Newsletter from 1992?

Mention of THE QUINS in an ancient copy of an ANAMU Newsletter... Who dug this up? Though marked from 1993, I think it's probably from 1992, when my first short film 'To Forget' started doing the rounds on the film festival circuit. As Pegbar's Daniel says 'a pinnacle changing point of Irish Animation?'

Seems like yesterday? No... Seems like a LONG long time ago!

Thanks to Daniel from Pegbar and to Cathal and Doc for the Twitter mentions!

Here's a Youtube link to a rough SD version of 'To Forget'...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL-NLR3bpeA&list=UUT34LrcyJLGwiMF6CmyhPKA

Watching More Closely Research Project

Kati Balint and Miklos visited IADT for initial meetings about the 'Watching More Closely' research project - a psychological investigation into the effect of close-ups in film. I had a few hours with Brendan Rooney and the visitors, to knock around some of the terms and parameters of the project, as well as deciding on a work plan.

http://www.uu.nl/hum/staff/KEBalint1/0

Eamonn O Neill - IADT AnimSoc

Congratulations to Emily Lynch and Ross Ryder of the IADT Animation Society for following up their success with Louise Bagnall's recent fantastic talk with a one hundred and fifty minute epic talk and presentation by Eamonn O Neill! Entitled 'things I thought and things I think...'

Key Eamonn O Neill learnings from the evening...

99.9% of engineers do NOT make guitar pedals...
Be transparent (be open and honest with people)... (this actually comes from Eimhin)
It HAS to be human!
Make rules, set boundaries and start thinking about your work... Rules shouldn't be arbitrary, they should be based on the emotional intent of your film...
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should... Be economic.
Have BALLS - be scared - safe is boring.

Personal is universal! The more personal it is, the more universal it is.

Make work and show people. (get it out there, you don't know who's watching)

from eamonnoneill.ie

You get the work that you DO!
BAD experiences are STILL experiences.
There's politics and bullshit EVERYWHERE!
The grass is not always greener.
Reach out, ask questions, be a sponge.
You make your own luck (good luck follows hard work, work hard and get lucky)...
Learn always, because skills are brillz...
GO for stuff, you have nothing to lose!
It's okay NOT to know!
Don't plateau (just keep moving forward, keep trying to progress)
Say thanks - don't be a dick to people, there's enough dickheads EVERYWHERE!

Inspirational stuff! A joy to hear!

www.eamonnoneill.ie

All Good Things!

Hugely talented (but impoverished) award year animation students from IADT Dun Laoghaire are holding an off-campus screening and event in Dublin's Lighthouse Cinema and Block T, in June 2014. The students are funding the project through cakesales and through crowfunding site Fundit! Please donate and become part of some great animation stories!

We are all IADT students, but ALL GOOD THINGS is not an IADT event, it's completely independent and self-generated. However, hosting an exhibition and screening, printing artwork, creating a zine and serving food & refreshments doesn't come cheap, so we've set up a FUND IT campaign to help cover a portion of the costs. 

We'd appreciate any contribution you could make! In return we're offering a range of rewards, and you'd be investing in the night itself, our artwork, and our futures. 


Check out our FUND IT page here: http://fundit.ie/project/all-good-things

https://www.facebook.com/IADTAnimation14?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite


https://twitter.com/IADTAnimation14