Cuppa Coffee Studios

Cuppa Coffee Studios are based in Toronto, Canada. 

Cuppa Coffee Studios have been making original and innovative animation for over twenty years. They have become the largest stop motion facility in the world and pioneered many of the techniques that are now commonly used in the industry. They make TV series, feature films, short films and are very successful. I think they are successful for the amount of time and detail that they put into their puppets and the professionalism that they work with. They seem like a great company and have created some amazing work and I would definitely like to visit and maybe work there one day. I would like to try and save up to go to Canada and while I am there I would definitely see about getting a studio visit. 

Flying Gherkin

Flying Gherkin are an animation company based in Melbourne, Australia and were established in 1993.  They specialise in stop motion animation, claymation, and puppetry, and also work with mixed media and live action, mostly for film and television commercials, music videos, idents and title sequences. They have worked with a lot of big companies, including Coca Cola, McDonalds and MTV. Their work is really diverse, ranging from simple blobby morph type characters to very detailed slightly grotesque characters. I really like their work, I think their characters move really well and the detail in some of their puppets is amazing. I think their many years of experience really shows and this is why they are so successful.

Mammafotogramma

Mammafotogramma are a creative studio in Milan, Itlay. Their animation studios were founded in 2008 and they mostly specialise in stop motion animation. They make commercials, promotional videos and clips for TV. Their work is technically really good and of high quality, but I am not a big fan of it. It seems too arty and conceptual to me on the most part and that isn't really my style. I would not like to work here.

Trikk 17

Trikk 17 are an award winning animation company in Hamburg, Germany who specialise in all areas of animation, but they started out as a stop motion company in 2001. They work with a broad range of animation, including stop-motion, cel animation, cut-out animation, CGI and live action puppets. They produce commissioned work as well as original content for TV, cinema, internet and mobile devices, and have a wide range of national and international partners. 
I really like their stop motion work, their characters move really well and they are really good at telling a story. I think all their work is beautiful and well thought out and their style of puppets is similar to what I like/ would like to make. 

Beast Animations

Beast animation are a stop motion company based in Belgium. They create very interesting animations and are mostly focused on character animation. They have a lot of experience working with stop motion puppets, actors and life size and miniature objects and have spent a lot of time studying movement and expression to create 'credible and coherent characters'. They make commercials, short films, feature films and TV series and are responsible for every part of the project, from concept art to the finished piece. 

Beast Animation are behind a very interesting animation that I saw at Bradford Animation Festival the other year called 'Oh Willy', which featured puppets unlike anything I had seen before, as the puppets were made of felt and so had fluffy skin. 

Their work is really diverse and always tells a good story, which is why I think they are successful. You can really see the experience and the time that goes into each animation. 

I would definitely like to apply to work here one day, although not for a year or two as moving country would be very difficult at the moment.

Two Left Hands

Two Left Hands is an animation studio in Paris, France. They specialise in Stop Motion Animation but also work in other types of media. They work with clients, have worked on commercials, music videos and short films and are quite successful. I think they work well because they are quite diverse in the material that they produce and they have a very unique style which I think works really well for the commercials they produce. I like their work, but I do not think it is somewhere I would like to work as I their style is very different to mine and I don't think we would be a good fit.

LoopDeLoop

Tumble

This months Loop de Loop theme is Tumble. I have decided to use Anna Denison's puppet and animate a short 10 second looping stop motion based around this word. I am using Anna's puppet because she asked me to animate it so that she can see how it moves and include it in her showreel. This works really well as it means I can get some more stop motion into my showreel as well. Her puppet is beautifully made, although not completely finished, although it should be fine for the competition entry.

I have been thinking about how I can make a deer fit to the theme of tumble. Some of the suggestions I have thought about are:

- A deer eating some grass in a field, looks up in shock as a tumble weed rolls by.

- A deer walking on ice, it slips and slides bambi style before regaining balance and continuing walking. On a loop.

- A deer tripping over a log or something and then getting back up to its feet.

Of these options, I am going to try the slipping on ice one, as it means I don't have to worry about making a prop and I am running low on time. I would greenscreen the background of the frozen lake and I will be using footage of deer slipping on ice as reference. 

I will be doing this animation in a week or so once the deer puppet is completely finished and the second rig has been added.

Deer Animation.

Anna Denison has built a deer puppet and has asked to me animate about 10-15 seconds of the deer moving so that she can include it in her showreel to show how her puppet moves. I agreed because it would also be extra stop motion animation for my showreel and therefore a great opportunity. The puppet moves really well, however needs another rigging kit to support the front of the deer if I was to make it walk, as it had a habit of toppling over when I tried to animate a walk cycle. Because of this, I have been unable to create a shot of the deer walking, but have four shots of the deer moving in other ways that make up 15 seconds. I will be going back to this deer when Anna has added another rigging point and I will the hopefully be able to create a realistic walk cycle and maybe a gallop and a jump too. The puppet isn't 100% finished, as the front legs are still just bare armature, but those will be finished soon and I will be able to do more animation with him then. I have left them all with greenscreen backgrounds so that Anna can put in any background she prefers.

Once the puppet is completed and the second rigging point has been added, I plan to do a short animation for LoopDeLoop and enter it in the competition.

Clay Animations

Clay Animations are a stop motion studio in Valencia, Spain. They create children's TV series, adverts and video games using stop motion. 
They offer courses in model making, animation and cinematographers and many of the students end up working for the company. The course in model making is something I would be interested in and would be a great opportunity. 

I think their work is successful because they have a simple and recognisable style. The simple style appeals to children and their use of bright primary colours also helps.

Moving to Valencia sounds incredible, the studios are in a beautiful location and would be an amazing step for one day in the future but I am not ready to move there at this point in time and apply for a job at Clay. I will however, look into getting a studio visit and maybe some work experience if possible.

Loose Moose

Loose Moose are a company based in Soho, London, and are an independent production company. They have worked with many well known clients, including Unilever, Kellogg, BBC, Channel 4, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios. They produce films and TV shows, mostly using Stop Motion and puppets, but occasionally they also use live action and visual effects.
Barry Purves is one of the directors at Loose Moose.

Loose Moose are a very successful company and it would be amazing to work there. I have considered applying for there and could potentially email Barry Purves for feedback or advice. However, ideally I would not like to have to move to London as it's very expensive.

Factory Animation

Factory are a stop motion company based in Altrincham who make stop motion programs for CBBC and CBeebies and other things. They have made Strange Hill High, Scream Street and the remake of the Clangers. They work a lot with Mackinnon and Saunders who make most of their puppets and they make amazing stop motion animations.
I have been on a studio visit there and now have a contact there. I also volunteered at Leeds Young Film Festival with Paul Couvela who is an animator there so I have two ways in there. They aren't hiring at the moment but I have kept in touch with the guy who showed me around and he has given me some tips for getting into the industry and is keeping my information on file for when they are hiring. I will email him again in a couple of months to see if there is anything going then. 

I would really love to get a job at Factory and I will apply to every job available at Factory.

Aardman Animations

Aardman create both stop motion and cgi animations at their studio in Bristol, England. They are behind Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph, among many many others and are one of the most well known stop motion companies in the UK. They work with a variety of materials but are best known for their plasticine puppets. They also work with resin, and silicon. 

Sara has given me the email address for the head of model making at Aardman so that I can email and see if he can sort me out a couple of weeks work experience, which I will be doing this week sometime. 

They are also currently hiring a puppet coordinator which I am considering applying for, although I wouldn't be able to move to Bristol for at least a year if I did get it.

Immortal Pictures

Immortal Pictures are a stop motion company based in Wales and are currently working on 'Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires'. They mainly work in TV series and commercials but Night of the Trampires is full length feature film. They make all their own puppets in house and are currently recruiting for this feature film and I have considered applying, but Wales is a bit too far for me at the moment because I have already paid and signed for a house for the next year and I am not ready to move to Wales. 

Animation Toolkit

Animation Toolkit is a company based near Manchester that makes and sells armatures and materials useful for stop motion animation. They also build puppets for companies and clients and have their own studios. 

I have reached out to Animation Toolkit about work experience or internships and got two replies from different people. 

I have decided that I will send them my CV and showreel for when they are hiring and send them a follow up email in a couple months to see if they are ready to take on new people by then. 

360 degree animation

Annabeth is planning on doing a 360 degree stop motion animation experiment over the summer which she has invited me to help out on. No one has done a 360 degree stop motion yet that we know of and the plan is to do it before anyone else to see if it works. It would be an amazing thing to put on my showreel and in my CV as it would show that I am experimenting with new software and branching out. 

Other companies, like blue zoo and Aardman have done 360 degree animations, although not in stop motion. The chance to do it before any of the big companies is an amazing opportunity. 

Laika Studios

Laika Studios is a Stop Motion Company based in Oregon, US. They create full length feature films in stop motion. They are behind 'Coraline', 'Paranorman' and 'Boxtrolls' and are currently working on 'Kubo and the Two Strings' which will be released later this year. 
Laika films are some of my favourite stop motion films and are some of my main influences when creating my own work. 
They used to work with Mackinnon and Saunders, having them create their puppets until they opened their own puppet making studios. They use 3D printing to create hundreds of facial expressions for each of their puppets. 
I have a contact at Laika, Mark Shapiro, who I have met a few times and offered once to show us around if we came to Oregon which I intend to take him up on one day. This would be an amazing way to make more contacts at the company and an opportunity to get feedback on my work.
They are one of the best stop motion film companies in the world and it would be incredible to work for them one day. 

Business Cards

I've made some business cards and had them printed off ready for the exhibition. I used a still from my final year animation on the front as I thought it would be useful to be able to see  an example of what I have done for people that might potentially want to hire me.

Online Portfolio

I have created an online portfolio on Portfoliobox.net and have uploaded a selection of photos of my puppets and some sets and shots of me animating. I will be able to give this link to industry people and put it on my CV for when I am applying to jobs.

Mackinnon and Saunders

Mackinnon and Saunders are a puppet making company and stop motion company that are based in Altringham. They started up after the end of Cosgrove Hall and have made puppets for both stop motion films and tv shows. Their armatures are usually made in house or by Animation Toolkit and are very intricate. They have worked on films such as Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie, and have created the puppets for hit CBBC show Scream Street. They also animate Postman Pat and other shows in house.
They don't often do internships or work experience, but they do apparently take part in the trainee finder scheme with creative skillset, which I think would be a good way to find my way into the company. 
To apply for a job here, I would need my CV complete with a list of all the materials I can work with, and a portfolio of my puppets that I have made, or a showreel of animations I have done, depending on whether I'd be applying for a model making job or as an animator.

I am a huge fan of the work done by Mackinnon and Saunders, and they are one of the main influences I have had that has made me want to make puppets and do stop motion. I will definitely be applying here in the future once my portfolio has expanded a bit.

Ben Greenwood

Grace has put me in contact with a friend of a friend who used to work at Aardman and Mackinnon and Saunders who is looking for an animation assistant for a few weeks to help on a stop motion. 

This would be a fantastic opportunity and would look amazing in my showreel so I hope I get it.
It's looking like I'll be starting on Wednesday so I won't have anything finished by the deadline, but I'm really looking forward to it.

Postcards

Becky Gilby

beckygilby309@gmail.com

I started this course not knowing what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be when I finished my degree. Over the course of these three years, I have discovered that I am a puppet maker, a stop motion animator and I like to dabble in set building too. I have learnt so much and I’ve loved every moment of it. I am most proud of my final year project in which I created four puppets from scratch using a variety of materials that I hadn’t used before, helped build three sets and animated a three minute stop-motion animation.

Leeds Young Film Festival: Animation Central

This weekend I volunteered at Leeds Young Film Festival at Carriageworks Theatre. I was working in Animation Central from 9am until half 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and doing a screening from 5pm until half 10 on Monday. 

They gave me the option to request which workshops I would prefer to work on and then they would try and get me into those. 
I, obviously, requested the stop motion workshops and on the Friday and Saturday I was placed in the Stop Motion Animation workshop with Paul Couvela who currently works as an animator at Factory, and has previously worked at Mackinnon and Saunders and Cosgrove Hall. The workshop consisted of my assembling wire armatures from animation toolkit multiple times (as the kids kept breaking them) and then assisting the children with their animating them once Paul had shown them the basics of stop motion animation. On the second day, we were joined by some other animators who's workshop didn't start until the afternoon. Charlotte Blacker, from Goodcopbadcop productions in Wakefield, gave me a lot of helpful tips on how to get into the animation industry and how to travel with your animations which I am very interested in. Apparently if you put them into international festivals, some festivals you can then go to the screenings. You will get paid to go to the festivals if you do a masterclass or something.
She worked at Mackinnon and Saunders for a production and she suggested that I find a hobby that I can make money off of so that I can do something I love when there are no animation jobs going. Apparently all animators at most companies, especially Mackinnon and Saunders, have another business on the side, or freelancing, to keep them going between films. I had a lot of fun with this workshop and got some good tips from Paul. 

On the Sunday, I was working with the Lego Animation workshop. This workshop was a lot of fun and the kids were pretty much left to get on with their own lego animations in groups and we were around if they needed help with anything. 

I will definitely want to volunteer again next year, it was a great opportunity for networking and I had a lot of fun teaching little kids to animate.

Plan for the next year.

Get part time job in Leeds… Retail or something just to pay rent.
Work with Annabeth on her 360 degree animation test. Maybe then do a full animation?
Get in touch with Grace's friend about his stop motion paid job.

Apply for internships at Factory and Mackinnon and Saunders.

Sign up to job sites and look for entry level stop motion jobs.
Keep making puppets and Macquettes and small stop motion animations to practice and improve my showreel and portfolio.
Get better an sewing, and learn how to knit teeny clothes.

Get an internship or work experience at Factory.

Volunteer at MAF and other animation festivals.

Join the creativeskillset.org thing for trainee finders. 

Apply for a training placement at Mackinnon and Saunders.

Get training placement at Mackinnon and Saunders.

Get full time job at Mackinnon and Saunders.

Be happy forever.

Plan B… Keep working at a part time job in Leeds until Mackinnon and Saunders hire me.

Showreel

I have created a showreel that shows what I think is my best work from my three years at uni. It is mostly stop motion animation, as that is the area of animation that I want to go into, but I have included a couple of Maya animations to show that I can work 3D software as well, as these skills are still useful in the stop motion industry. 

I will keep adding to and adjusting my showreel as I create more work over my next year and throughout my career. 

I have posted my showreel to my Vimeo account, my Youtube account and shared it on my LinkedIn account.

Aardman Character Animation Internship.

https://nfts.co.uk/our-courses/certificate/character-animation

Aardman do a 3 month course in character animation at their studios in Bristol every year, aimed at recent graduates. It is a very competitive course to get on as there aren't many spaces but it is something I would look into, maybe not this year as I can't afford to move to Bristol for 3 months at the moment, and I also don't have a finished showreel that I am happy with to send in before the deadline. But I would potentially like to apply for next year as you don't have to do it straight out of uni, you just need a showreel showing your animation ability and passion for the craft.

The course does sound really interesting, the main tutor on the course is Loyd Price, who is the head of animation at Aardman and has worked on the Nightmare before Christmas, Chicken Run, Pirates, The Curse of the WereRabbit and Shaun the Sheep. There will also be a tutor who specialises in CG animation as well as additional input from other animators and directors currently working at Aardman.

Internships and Work Experience at Factory.

I got a reply from Alan at Factory pretty quickly. Unfortunately they don't have any internship opportunities going at the moment but he said they'd keep my interest on file for any opportunities in the future as I seemed really serious about a career in stop motion, which I definitely am. He also suggested I sign up to and keep an eye on some websites where opportunities are usually posted and gave me tips on how to get into the industry. It was a very useful email and I will definitely be signing up to some of these websites.

Emailing Factory

A little while back, I went on a studio visit to Factory in Altringham and was able to look at the sets, the puppets and see some of the animators animating. I had an amazing time and asked about internships and work experience. Alan Smart, the man who showed me around, said that I should send a follow up email in a few months to let them know that I am there and I am interested in these opportunities as their internships don't get released until April time. 

Because of this, I sent Alan an email today to remind him that I am there and very interested in internships and work experience opportunities.

Vimeo

I have set up a vimeo account. This is a good platform for uploading my animations and showreel too for members of the industry to see my work. It also makes me look like a more professional animator and will hopefully help me find work. I will be able to put the link to my vimeo account on my business cards to hand out to potential employers at the end of year show. 

As the year goes on, I will be uploading my final animation, my showreel and previous animations I have done that I am proud of. 

Creative Skillset

After looking into Mackinnon and Saunders, I discovered this site called Creative Skillset and the trainee finder on it, which is where Mackinnon and Saunders find their new trainees when they need them

This seemed like a good way to try and make my way to Mackinnon and Saunders so I set about making a profile.

The only ways you are eligible to apply for a trainee position through creative skillset is if you fit the guidelines.

For all sectors, to be eligible all trainees must not currently be undertaking a course of educational study or instruction.
Animation
           - The trainee has less than 12 months of paid experience in the Animation industry the                                        trainee is applying to or less than 15 months if the trainee has taken a placement as part of a degree course (e.g. sandwich year)

•   AND has completed a relevant Creative Skillset accredited course in the last 18 months
  
  -OR the trainee has at least two valid industry testimonials from a company or companies the trainee has gained relevant industry work experience with. 

Which seems to mean that I am not eligible at the moment, because I am still on this course. I also don't know if this course is a Creative Skillset accredited course, because I looked it up and Graphic Design and LCA is, but animation isn't listed and I don't know whether that's just because this is a new course. 
So it seems that I might need to go for the second one and get experience working with companies in the industry that I can then get testimonials with. This may be through volunteering or finding some work experience after uni. 

I will need to find these out and apply to do some work experience or internships and volunteer at animation companies or festivals, as I think this would be a great way to help me get into the industry.

LinkedIn

My professional linked in page is now fully completed and updated ready for industry contacts. I have included a link to my current showreel and will update that with my final year showreel once it is completed. 

This should give me a professional look to the industry and enable me to find industry contacts that will assist me in starting my career as a puppet maker/ animator.

Manchester Animation Festival- Making it in Manchester.

Phil Chalk- Factory.
Leo Casserly- Flix Facilities.
Chris Bowden- Mackinnon and Saunders.


Chris Bowden- Mackinnon and Saunders.
Contributed to over 80 projects- films, thames TV.
Works frequently with Flix and Factory.
Allows employees to expand and experiment within the company.
Using both traditional sculpting and armatures and CGI modelling too.
3D printing in metal is possible. Makes little bone elements possible for armatures.
Line up live action and stop motion by putting a square/ something in the middle and line up camera to both.



Phil Chalk- Factory.
Born out of necessity. Working out of a company that went bust so set up factory with connections in BBC commissions. 
Strange Hill High- First commission from BBC- Rod Puppets.

Have all their own post production studios. In house sound, lighting, compositing. 

3D printing whole heads. 
11 minutes of Digital Facial animation in 24 hours. 



Leo Casserly- Flix.
Works with live action and animation.
Leo started as a runner at a post production company in Manchester. 
Works mostly in childrens animations. 
1985- Cosgrove Hall.
Fix started in 1992, the same time as Mackinnon and Saunders.
Had to close one branch in 2009 from the credit crunch. 



Mackinnon and Saunders do take interns, but you need to be up to a good standard so that you can keep up with production.


What are they looking for?
General skills. 
Specific skills.
Teamwork.
Passion!

How to get there.
Just keep asking. 
Volunteer your time for nothing.
Persistance.

You have to love what you do. You can't half heartedly become a stop motion animator.
Get your foot in the door and make a good impression.

Manchester Animation Festival- Will Becher: Masterclass.

Started animating when he was 12. Inspired by Morph. Found his way into Aardman at 22. 

Animated Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

Shaun the Sheep was first seen in the Wallace and Gromit film 'A Close Shave'. He was a popular character from his brief appearance and so that made him his own show.

Order of production.
Script.
Storyboard (Cintiqs. Every scene broken down.)
Animatic +  Voice actors.
Set Building.
Character building.
Animating.
Post production.


Creating the world.
Everything is made by hand except for skies and some special effects.

Large fully coloured drawings and designs.
Very Large scale sets- needs a warehouse with very high ceilings.

Floor+ Scaffold+ Wooden pallets underneath sets for stability.

Polystyrene for cliffs and things. Stick it to mdf and carve away.

Teddy bear felt painted green for grass.

Glass made by a local man.


Character build.
1. Plasticine sculpt.
2. Armature.
3. Break down into parts- hands and head gone.
4. Foam latex inside fibre glass moulds for body and baked.
5. Trimmed and hand painted.
6. Mouth sets and moulds made.
     Head made up from hard and soft elements. Detailed/ textures- hard. The rest plasticine. Latex hands. Foam body. Tie down onto set through feet.
7. Movement tests.
8. Mouth mould made and silicon poured in.
9. Plasticine colours mixed in house.

More than 120 sheep were made for the film. Hard elements for the head and feet. Black and white plasticine is really hard to work with. The only plasticine on Shaun is the eyelids.


In the Studio.
Background figures sometimes in 2D. 2D cut outs look like puppets if they are far away or very close and not in focus.

Big sets- need to climb on set to reach characters.

3 seconds a day on average done. Less if there are more characters to take care of.

Sets designed so that they can come apart easily for access.


Live action video.
-Perform the shots.
-Tiny web camera.
-Acted out by directors and animators.

Water Drops- glass beads, perspex, vaseline, glycerine.

Use dragon frame and canon cameras.
To make scrubs costumes, they 'borrowed' scrubs from a hospital.


Post production.

Rig removal.
Skies added.
Sound- they recorded a full orchestra.


550,000 shots in Shaun the Sheep.
Start to finish took 9 months, Pirates tool 16-18 months.

Heat can affect the set- can cause movement.
If moving camera through a set, motion control rig. It'll move the camera frame by frame. Can't animate camera on twos or it would look juddery.

To get into animation:
Luck.
Be Persistent.
Get in as a Runner/ Junior model maker.
Just get your work out there. Make sure people know you're there.
Just keep getting feedback, reach out to companies just to ask for feedback.

@will_becher on twitter.

Useful sites.
Skwigly.co.uk
Animate-it.com
Dragonframe.com
Aardman.com/jobs



    

Manchester Animation Festival- How to Make Friends and Animate People: The Art of Crowdfunding.

Kick starter:

Wide reach.
Trusted.
Better update tools.
Simple.
But,
High fees.
Little support.
Dropout/ failed payment.

Campaign target divided by average pledge= estimated number of pledges.

The reboot of Morph- Aardman was crowdfunded. 

If you get your short film shown in the cinema you can claim back 16% tax.

New Youtube channel

I have made a new professional youtube channel for my showreel and for animations that I am most proud of. This will be my place share my animations with the industry and hopefully it will be useful in finding myself a job.

Portfolio

I would like to make a portfolio tailored to puppet making, model making and stop motion animation.
Unfortunately, I only have 4 images that I am proud of to put in a portfolio so far, as I have only done one module for the skill I intend to continue with.

Because of this, I intend to spend third year making more models, developing my set building skills and improving on stop motion to get a decent portfolio of work for when I finish my degree.

Second year showreel

Pop-Up Show.

On Friday, we had a test screening of our applied animation projects. This was to get feedback on our animations and prepare us for the Pop-up show that our course will be putting on hopefully.

For the Pop-up show, I want to finish my food documentary animation and have that edited and ready to show people, and if we have to show other work we have done in this show too, I will include my E4 and Shark idents and the robot dance from last year, as well as maybe my Pirate moom for character and narrative from this year.

Social Media Presence.

This year, I have been using social media a lot more to promote my work and show the world what I am doing. I was always posting my animations on youtube, but this year I have expanded to using twitter more to inform people of new videos I've put up.

I have also found that instagram can be a great way to promote my work and get a wider audience interested in it. I have been posting updates of my Applied Animation project on instagram throughout the making and animating stages, and the ability to hashtag animation, stop motion and puppets has meant that my work is reaching people specifically interested in those topics and as a result, more people interested in the industry have been liking my posts and following me on instagram. When my applied animation project is finished and on youtube, I will post links so that people will be able to watch it who have seen all the behind the scenes photos already.

Instagram is also great for finding other people doing similar work and wanting to do similar things with stop motion puppets which is giving me more ideas for how to improve what I am doing, and also creating a little bit of competition which will inspire me to work harder.

Putting hair on puppets

This video was very interesting and taught me a very good technique for putting hair onto puppets. It looks quite fiddly and confusing but it is definitely something I want to try out.

I am finding these Kool Koala Productions videos very useful and I will continue to use them in my future endeavours into the puppet making world.

Kool Koala making puppets

For my independent study task I have been researching different ways to make stop motion puppets and this seems to be the cheapest but most effective way to create puppets in a professional way. 

These videos are really helpful and interesting, as they show in detail how they make the puppets, tell you what materials they use and how much they cost. I will definitely be trying these out next year. 

The third video gave me some really good ideas for suspending the wire armatures which I wish I had thought of while making my armatures for applied animation.

Show and tell

Today we had a show and tell session of what we have been doing and what we are interested in. 
I chose to show my puppets and armatures, as I have been learning about how to make puppets for my PPP as it's what I am really interested in, and applying it for one of my other modules. 
So far I have been looking at shadow puppet animations made from black paper on a light box, wooden puppets and also puppets made from metal armatures with silicone or latex to build the bodies. I showed my armatures that I have built, as well as the latex foam face that I was practicing with. 

Puppets for Stop Motion animation are really interesting to me and I find the whole process of making them exciting. I have learnt so far how to manipulate some of the materials used, although I still need to expand on my knowledge a lot.

Showreel planning.

I have been thinking about what to put on my showreel. It is recommended that we put 10 pieces of work in, but they don't all have to be animations. Because of this I was thinking that I would put in:

• The food documentary
• The character and narrative pirate moom
• My E4 and discovery channel idents from last year
• The Robot Dance from last year
• My 87 bingomation animation
• My 11 second club animation
• And then I would put in my puppets from my food documentary animation which brings me up to 9 things in my showreel.

I cannot think of a tenth thing to include at the moment but I will put these 9 together and choose some music and have a think about the tenth. 

Latex foam faces

I did some practice moulding making some models out of foam latex. I made a clay model of my face that I wanted to cast, then made my plaster mould and learnt how to use foam latex. I had to paint it with latex mixed with paint as this way it sticks to the foam and doesnt crack when you move the paint.