Category Archives: Stop Frame

Emma Calder Workshop and Exhibition Cakovec

I have just returned from running an animation workshop with Zsusanna Szabo at the School of Animation in Cakovec (SAF).

Emma Calder Exhibition Poster

Emma Calder Exhibition Poster

The workshop this year was part of the 40th anniversary celebrations. So I was honored to have been invited. Even better I was asked if I wanted to have a small exhibition at the near by Cultural Centre.

Emmas Exhibition

Emma in Cultural Centre

See below a quick snap shot of the private view,

The Workshop runs all year round for children between 8 and 15 years old. It’s current leaders are Edo Lukman who founded SAF in 1975 and Jasminka Bijelić Ljubić. Jasminka joined SAF in 1998. More info on SAF can be found on their website.

The high light of the trip was the closing night ceremony, where we were treated to some of SAF’s vintage films and their latest 40 min film from 2015. SAF is unique in the world, the quality and the volume of children’s animation, over 250 films and 150 workshops produced over the years. I would love it if someone could set up something in the UK like this, but with the state of current funding, there doesn’t seem much hope of that.

cut out spider

Linda’s Laughing Spider age 11

We showed our workshop film at the ceremony. Our film was created by each child picking two different words from a Hat and creating a tiny film from that. The kids got stuff like Laughing Spider, Winged Carrot, Party Baby etc…It was quite ambitious for the time allowed, but still showed what can be done in a short space of time, with talented and keen participants.

SAF teens filming

SAF workshop children, filming the title sequence in Cakovec Castle

We also got the children to do some pixelation on the first day, as a fun way to get to know each other. The children came from the UK, USA, Romania and Croatia.

Reel Lives, Social Media Film Competition

Everyone Is Waiting For Something To Happen.

A few months ago, I read an ad for a competition called ReelLives. They were asking for film makers to compete for six awards to make mini biographical documentaries based on a chosen persons social media image. The film had to be cut exclusively from the subjects social media data, although you were allowed to make an original soundtrack as long as it related to the social media content.

Being a great lover of collage, I liked the idea of the challenge and decided to enter with fellow animator Richard Wright my facebook pal, as my subject.

cake mixing

Richard Wright is baking

I left it until the deadline to apply but had a good chat on the phone with the funders and Richard before writing a treatment, which I did in break neck speed. Luckily I got the money.

Synopsis: 

Prior to being diagnosed with bowel cancer Richard Wright, an artist/animator, had a social media persona that was characterised by annoying and anarchic humour. After initially feeling unable to communicate at all, his general healing process became entwined with the resurrection of his social media presence, helped by an obsessive regime of cooking and baking.

The film uses character and abstract animation, created from collages of Richards photos and quotes posted on social media including a fifty two page blog which he wrote for a bowel cancer forum and interviews with Richard talking about his posts.

The result is a humorous and visually stimulating film that explores one creative individuals strategy for coping with a life threatening illness and how he was able to share this with his social media community.

The Film is part of a EPSRC UK research project being delivered by The University of Birmingham, The Open University and The University of Edinburgh Informatics.

 

 

 

Random Person Has A Day Out

I have been having a lot of moans from people waiting for the next series of Random Person films. I promise that they will be coming soon. The reason for the delay after finishing Boudica, was the necessity of pitching for paid work and promoting my last film Boudica A Norfolk Story.

Luckily both efforts turned out well and Boudica is just beginning her festival career. The film will be presented next month in competition at Zagreb. I am going, thanks to a travel grant from the British Council.

After three pitches the third was a success and I have just won a competition to make a new film, it is a mini bio pic doc. More news coming soon.

I was pretty close with the first pitch too and got shortlisted down to five out of one hundred and fifty people, this would have been a lovely job, I planned to make an animated film inspired by Kelmscot Mannor and William Morris. I still want to make this film so if any one knows, anyone who could fund it, please let me know.

Here is Random person trying to star in a film about Walthamstow, unfortunately this particular pitch was unsuccessful!

walthamstow market

Random Person in Walthamstow Market, buying trimmings

 

Random Person outside the Pie and Mash cafe in Walthamstow Market

Random Person outside the Pie and Mash cafe in Walthamstow Market

 

 

Official Boudica A Norfolk Story Trailer

For those of you eager to have a look at my Boudica film. I have cut a trailer to give a taste of the animation and style. Any festivals wishing to show the film please contact me for a link to the complete film. Read the Press Release. Or download a printable version, with extra images of the Boudica_PressRelease

Or if you are in Norfolk, pop into Norwich Castle Museum and watch it in the Boudica Gallery.

I will keep everyone posted about screenings and previews.

Also I just heard that the film has been short-listed for consideration by the final jury for the category of Best Commissioned Animation at The British Animation Awards.

Boudica animation is finished

Boudica A Norfolk Story is finished. It should be installed in the Boudica Gallery in Norwich Castle Museum in the next couple of weeks.

Roman Soldiers march towards Mancetter

Roman Soldiers march towards Mancetter and the probable site of the final battle

Here’s me on the last days shoot, animating the first scene of the film. I decided to do this outside shot last, just in case I accidentally knocked the camera over, or something!

boudica animation in Stockwell

Emma painting Boudica’s new face. Photo Oliver Cripps

boudica in the earth

Emma animating Boudica . Photo Oliver Cripps

In this first scene Boudica is dug up and put together then her face appears and she yawns.

As you can see from the scale Boudica is tiny, her little arms and legs made from gold twisted wire in the style of Iceni torcs. (Iceni is the name for Boudica’s tribe who lived in Norfolk 2000 years ago.)

The film is now on Vimeo but with a private link only, as I want to keep it back for film festivals, premières etc…

For those of you who can’t wait I will make a short trailer soonish. But meanwhile, time permitting I will do some short blogs about the making of the film.

Boudica Animation is nearly complete

I have nearly finished all the animation for my Boudica Film for Norwich Castle. It has been such good fun.

Hopefully in about one week I will be able to do the final edit and sound. Fingers crossed.

Boudica makes up

Boudica applies Woad

To go on with, is a still of Boudica putting on her woad before her final battle. Quite a fiddly job. Repainting her face which is only about 2 centimeters across, for each frame of animation. Although her face doesn’t move for all scenes luckily.

Boudica’s daughters bodies are made from broken iron age pottery from Norfolk.

Nero looks like Boris

I have just finished animating a scene with Nero for my Boudica Film and realised he actually looks like Boris Johnson.

Nero rips

Nero rips up Prasutagus will

I did the cut out animation in after effects for this scene but, I am doing the next scene proper cut out, although I can get both looking quite similar now. It just depends on my mood.

Watercolour Backgrounds for Boudica

The fruits of my Norfolk holiday are paying off, had a good day doing the final backgrounds for my Boudica film.

This one is my favourite so far.

Boudica by Emma Calder

Boudica in her watercolour background

Julian Cripps did the pencil work and I did the water colour and characters.

The ducks are from some lovely 2000 year old Iceni Cups, on display in the Boudica Gallery.

Boudica Animation Begins

After finishing the animatic I decided to set up the green screen for my Boudica film. This was ably done by my Director of photography Hugh Gordon and partner Julian Cripps.

Julian Cripps and Hugh Gordon

Julian Cripps and Hugh Gordon set up the Boudica Green Screen

Unfortunately I lost one of my Boudica heads the first morning of the build, so that was distracting. After about fours hours of searching Julian found it.

Lost Boudica

Lost Boudica on bike saddle

I must have put it there whilst trying to unlock my other studio. Oh dear!!

The Green Screen was a success and I have now animated two scenes, the second with the aid of Dragon Frame which is a great bit of software for stop motion and video assist. Really useful to me as I have the camera up so high.

Here a still from Scene 3 of Boudica A Norfolk Story.

Scene 3

Scene 3 Boudica A Norfolk Story

Boudica News

I have just completed the storyboard and animatic for my Boudica Film for the Norwich Castle Museum. This took roughly a month to produce, for what will be a four and a half minute film. Last week was fun as I had my two favourite helpers working for me. Julian Cripps architectural designer who always helps me with background design and my daughter Coco Cripps who was officially on work placement at Pearly Oyster.

Julian Cripps

Julian Cripps working on Boudica Storyboard

Now I am moving on to the next stage of the film, which is to design and make the characters and design all the backgrounds. As some of the characters are made from very old things dug up. I have had a good excuse to go mudlarking on the Thames regularly.

Here is a photo a  goose with a fantastic backdrop.

Goose by Thames

Goose at Vauxhall beach

What is interesting is what I am learning about some of the my mudlarking finds. After looking at iron age pottery in Norwich Castle Museum. I now realise that I had already found my own bit of iron age pottery by the Thames. I had thought it was a bit of petrified wood but, now I am quite sure it’s the same sort of material.

A picture of my finds, where’s Boudica?

Mudlarking Finds

Emma Calder’s Desk with Mudlarking bits