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Showing posts from October, 2012

Documentary: Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss' great documentary on European horror cinema is available now on BBC iplayer.  It's got some great set design imagery from The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - and makes lots of fascinating reference to the 'visual concepts' underpinning production design and character.  Go here to watch it while it's still available.

CGAA Year 1: Meg and Morphing!

Courtesy of Chris Hunt - images from this afternoon's Toolkit: Animation workshop with Meg Bisineer : large-scale charcoal drawings resulting in morphing animations!  Great stuff everyone :)

Mudbox Update

Hi Guys, A quick update for those of you that were having trouble loading Mudbox. The problem has now been resolved by our trusty IT team, so you should be able to open Mudbox without anymore issues. The problem was caused by the file that Mudbox creates when opened becoming corrupted. If anyone has issues with Mudbox crashing on start up then go to "My Documents" locate the "Mudbox" file and simply delete it. ( If you have anything saved in it then make sure you back up  these file elsewhere first.) Doing this will force Mudbox to create a new clean version of this file, after that you should be good to go.

CGAA One-A-Day: BirdPen Nature Regulate

A literal animation to the music of Band BirdPen , this music video is beautifully crafted in narrative and visuals.  Nature Regulates has a toy like  B movie feel to the characters and environments. I personally love the climax of the animation with the pacing of the narrative fitting perfectly against the music. A haunting and eerie piece. BIRDPEN-Nature Regulate from Pooya Abbasian on Vimeo .

George Lucas Sells Lucasfilm.

I'm still in shock, but it looks like a new Star Wars trilogy is on its way :D

Dissertation Email question?

For any third years who are currently doing their Dissertation, Has anyone successfully emailed Jude? because I have emailed through the uni email and she hasn't received it and I have tried a few times with my personal email but I get sent back failure to send messages? I checked with Jude today that I wrote the email down right and was confirmed that it was so I don't understand it so Has anyone managed to email her and get a reply back? Thank you in advance Adam Webb

CGAA Design: Saul Bass

Saul Bass   "I want to make beautiful things...even if nobody cares." In the last few years a simplicity and modernity has arisen in the world of graphic design. This style of design may be considered unique by some, but one of the fathers of such design is Saul Bass. He is best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock, creating some of the best credit sequences of all time and assisting with the storyboard process of the famous  Psycho  shower sequence. Bass' title sequences have become well loved by the design world, setting up some of Hitchcock's masterpieces from the very outset. This is the magic of Bass' design, within 20 seconds we are introduced to a film with exactly the correct tone and mindset. He takes the viewer from darkness to the opening scene in the perfect way, with stunning yet simple graphics that not only stood out at the time but now are the icon for a medium itself. There is a threshold in art and design where a wo

HISHE: Prometheus

I know, I know - I have to move on.  I need to 'get a life'. I have to get passed this fanboy Prometheus grief ... but see? I'm not alone; another bullseye from the How It Should Have Ended people...  

FAO CGAA Year 1: Unit Space & Environment - Project 'Secret Lairs' - Your Creative Partners Announced

See groupings below: your Creative Partnerships for the duration of your new 'Secret Lairs' Project: George Nwosisi @ http://www.georgenwosisi.blogspot.co.uk Katy Fosdike @ http://katyfosdike1.blogspot.co.uk Aaron Hayre @ http://aaronhayre.blogspot.co.uk Meg Leslie @ http://meg-leslie.blogspot.com * Lucy Yelding @ http://lucy-yelding.blogspot.co.uk Anass Moukdir @ http://a-animator.blogspot.co.uk Peta-Gaye Brown @ http://peta-gayebrown.blogspot.co.uk Jake Bryant @ http://jakejbryant.blogspot.co.uk Matt Coward @ http://mattman12.blogspot.co.uk Simon Bloyce @ http://planetmonkfish.blogspot.com * Emily Clarkson @ http://emily-clarkson.blogspot.co.uk Nadia  Yadallee @ http://nadiayadallee.blogspot.co.uk Akinbiyi Babarinde @ http://kinblob.blogspot.co.uk Luke Scott @ http://lukeescott.blogspot.co.uk Jebb Bobbet @ http://jbobbettblogit@blogspot.co.uk   Megan Howett @ http://meganhowett.blogspot.co.uk Dhuran Modha @ http://dhuranmodha.blogspot.co.uk Samantha Niemczky @ http

Up from the depths. Thirty stories high. Breathing fire.

Civilization crumbles as its death rays blast a city of 6 million from the face of the earth! A monstrous sea-beast...surging up from the ocean! .....A city of six-million wiped out by its death ray blast! ...Giant ships swamped! Jet planes swept from the skies! Trains ripped from the rails ! UNSTOPPABLE TITANS OF TERROR!  Coming soon to:

FAO CGAA Year 1 "Job Well Done!"

Congratulations to CGAA Year One!  First crit done and dusted!  Enjoy your weekend - see you Monday @ 10am for 'Secret Lair' fun and games...

FAO CGAA Year 2: Character Design Class Reminder

BRING AN OBJECT TO CLASS! Justin has asked me to remind all year two students to bring an object to next weeks character design class. You will be asked to transform your object into a character so it needs to be visually interesting (no bottles or coke cans) and not a character already (a toy for example). Be Amazing!

FAO CGAA Year 1: CG Artist's Toolkit/Animation - Groups A & B

I'm just reiterating information here available on myUCA and via your ucreative emails: your groupings for the CG Artist's Toolkit/Animation classes beginning next week. Group A Akinbiyi Bababrinde Simon Bloyce Jebb Bobbett Peta-Gaye Brown Jake Bryant Emily Clarkson Matthew Coward Alexander Edmonds Katy Fosdike Victoria Hatton Aaron Hayre George Hind Megan Howett Group B Victoria Kerslake Margaret Leslie Shannon Mason Dhuran Modha Anass   Moudakir Kym Mumford Samantha Niemczyk George Nwosisi Lekti Rose Jacobs Luke Scott Nadia Yadallee Lucy Yelding

Animschool: Creating Appeal With Directional Force

FAO Years 1, 2, and 3 - New Timetable Available

 Timetables for weeks 6 - 12 are now available to download from MyUCA Year 1: Space & Environment   Timetable on MyUCA ( Unit Information )    Year 2: Narrative & Character Timetable on MyUCA ( Unit Information )  Interim Critique: Thursday 8th November @ 2pm Year 3: Minor Project   Timetable on MyUCA ( Unit Information )  Interim Critique: Friday 9th November @ 10am

CGAA One-A-Day: Apache

A music video entitled Apache" is a darling animation of an native American and two adorable creatures musical journey into modern day. The entire animation is done with turntable wrap effect. A very genius yet simple idea and a lovely watch.  Music by Danger Beach. Apache from oneedo on Vimeo .

Pete Doctor - "Whatever you like doing, do it!"

After reading through some of the remarkable letters and correspondences on www.lettersofnote.com I found this gem from animator and director Pete Doctor. His simple summation of his work is a brilliant example of how to move forward positively. May 5, 2009 Dear Mr. Kelsey, What would I tell a class of Middle School students? When I was in Middle School, I liked to make cartoons. I was not the best artist in my class — Chad Prins was  way  better — but I liked making comic strips and animated films, so after High school it was no surprise that I got into The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), a school that taught animation. CalArts only accepts 25 students a year, and it attracts some of the best artists in the country. Suddenly I went from being one of the top artists in my class to being one of the absolute worst. Looking at the talented folks around me, I knew there was no way I would make it as a professional. Everyone else drew way better than I did.

bluegfx expo - 22 Nov - London Film Museum, Southbank

The bluegfx expo is a one day spectacle designed to give you the opportunity to see the latest and greatest developments in the CG & VFX industry. Whether you are making important purchasing decisions, looking to get ‘hands on’ with new tech, see demo’s from the top manufacturers or observe presentations and interact with the leading lights from the Film & TV, Games and Design Viz industries… then the bluegfx expo is for you.  Come for the whole day or drop in for an hour…we are looking forward to seeing you there! I got my ticket '  here  ' , oh it's free by the way!!

Vote for NAT

 Hey CGAA All Years! I'm running for Yr2 Course Representative & Student Experience Officer in the Student Council If you want IMPROVEMENTS made to YOUR uni experience VOTE FOR ME!! I've already started motions to Solve the issue of the melting temperatures in the Baseroom, by applying for airconditioning. This is just the beginning of what is possible if you vote for me. To VOTE, check your University emails for one titled; Registration Invitation MSL Membership System (P.S. This may be in your JUNK folder) Click on the link,  make a password, Find my name in the Student Experience Officer Tab and CAST YOUR VOTES Natalie Urwin Any problems don't hesitate to email me at : nurwin@ucreative.ac.uk

CGAA Design: Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid Known for her simplistic and modernist design aesthetic, Zaha Hadid has not only regenerated the boldness of British architecture but also left her mark as one of the most successful women in the world. Her designs go beyond the world that they inhabit, often extruded from bold intersecting lines which rise from her drawings into the world, overlapping and creating new forms within an old space. This is the key principle in Hadid's work, regenerating environments in a positive way. She firmly believes that design and architecture change lives, after all, these small worlds in which we live affect everything we do to an extraordinary degree. "Buildings need to do another job, enlighten people, space enlightens the same way as music art and technology." [1] Berlin, Germany - 2000 Masterplan The commercial buildings that come from the studio of Hadid stand out among the norm of British architecture. But these final solutions are only a small

CGAA Alumni: Leo Tsang's Top Tips on getting the most from CG Arts & Animation

Leo Tsang graduated from Ba Hons CG Arts & Animation in July 2012 with a first class degree.   Leo was a determined, dedicated and highly consistent student, impressing early in year one with his dreamy, painterly visuals for his Ling Zhi Mushroom Life-Cycle and then again in year two, with his junk-derived character designs for his Tribe 17 .   Leo's Isle of Cirrus - his CGAA swansong - is an exemplar of the way in which the innate qualities of great 2d production drawings can originate satsifying CGI.  Ling Zhi Mushroom Life Cycle - End of Year 1 Tribe 17 - End of Year 2 Isle of Cirrus - End of Year 3 As a veteran of the CGAA rollercoaster, valued alumnus, and member of Atom Pancakes ,  I asked Leo to share his insights and advice with the rest of us.... "Hey guys, my name's Leo and I recently graduated from the course this year. Phil has asked me to provide some pointers. So without further ado and in no particula

FAO CGAA Year 3 - Monday's Tutorials

This is a reminder to those year 3 students who I'd normally see on Monday: as it's year one crit week, my usual 4 day week begins on Tuesday, so I won't be in the office.  This should be on your timetable. If you want me to look at your work for a specific reason, just create an '@Phil', and I'll endeavour to feedback usefully during the course of the day.

CGAA One A Day: Out of Sight

A short animation of a girl without sight but with a huge imagination. Enjoy :) out of sight from kynight on Vimeo .

The Supplement: Lucienne Fontannaz

These illustrations by Lucienne Fontannaz caught my eye; dating from 1975 and produced for a children's book by Eric Merinat entitled Les Perles de Pluie , they're striking and psychedelic in a warmly muted way. (Thanks to 50 Watts ).